The 📖📺🎧🔪🛍️ List
A new-to-me podcast, instrumental Taylor Swift, and a note about gift guides!
If you’re new around here, please know that my free Friday letter usually goes out a lot earlier, but this week was busy with work and I wasn’t able to sit down and concentrate until this very morning. But hey — at least you have a late afternoon inbox delivery to distract you for all of five minutes!
For those not local to Dallas or Texas for that matter, it’s actually chilly here and I’m leaning in hard. If I have to wear one more t-shirt in 80º weather, I might just lose it. Tonight, we’re staying in and I’m making this beef stew I posted on my own blog years ago. It will be accompanied by one of the (many) NorCal wines we picked up on our anniversary trip, and I can’t wait.
Now let’s get into what I’ve be consuming this week!
READING 📖
You might’ve caught it on my stories this week; you might not have. Regardless, I posted about how I just can’t seem to get into Outlander. It’s not that I don’t love the writing and story so far — I think it’s actually the fact that there is a television series, and I keep thinking to myself “I could just watch it, though…” So, I’ve shelved that book for now and cracked open a new one called Small World that both my sister and mom have read and loved. It’s familial drama that spans several decades, and I’m looking forward to digging in!
I’ve also recently subscribed to writer and comedian Bess Kalb’s Substack, The Grudge Report, and love her biting and heartfelt humor so much.
WATCHING 📺
Dinosaurs are Zac’s Roman Empire, and we’ve really been leaning into that lately. We watched the two newer Jurassic Park movies in the last week (one is from 2018 and the other is 2022), and even started the new Life On Our Planet series on Netflix (narrated by Morgan Freeman). I love shit like that, so I’m thoroughly enjoying it and can I just say, the CGI is incredible? My little joke is I keep turning to Zac when they are showing footage from 46 million years ago and saying, “I can’t believe they caught this on video. The quality is amazing.”
We also started All The Light We Cannot See, which I know is a book and a beloved book at that, but I never read it, so this is my first experience with the story. So far, I love it. The lead character is legally blind in real life and had never acted a day in her life before this show — pretty amazing. She’s also from Rhode Island and has, like, four degrees.
LISTENING TO 🎧
I cannot listen to music with lyrics while I write and work — I just am too susceptible to singing along, which completely breaks my concentration. Therefore, when I haven’t been listening to the 1989 re-release this past week, I found this glorious Taylor Swift instrumental playlist that offers soft piano renditions of all her hits, and it’s lovely. I highly recommend!
You guys know I have a thing with queer podcasts — if it’s hosted by people within the LGBTQIA community, chances are I will fucking love it. Enter the podcast called Too Far that features Robby Hoffman and Rachel Kaly. Both queer, both she/her (although Robby had top surgery), both Jewish, both absolutely fucking hilarious. Robby is so funny, I can’t handle it. She’s also dating Gabby Windey who I guess was on The Bachelor, so that’s a big deal. Anyway, Rachel and Robby are best frenemies, and I just find their podcast to be highly entertaining.
MAKING 🔪
I made two Brocc Your Body specials this week that were both phenom. The first was her Egg Rowl in a Bowl. The second was the very first recipe she ever posted to her food blog, Pistachio Pesto Salmon. Everything I’ve ever made of hers is delicious, and I highly recommend pre-ordering her forthcoming cookbook (it will be on a gift guide in the near future, of course).
SHOPPING 🛍️
I popped into Anthropologie this morning (there’s one less than a mile from my house), and popped out with way too much stuff. I’m going to share it with you guys now, but keep in the mind that Black Friday sales are starting soon and I have it on good authority that there will be exclusive early access via LTK so stick with me.
Sheer Peter Pan Collared Top: I am a sucker for a fun black top during the winter, and this fit the bill. It’s brand new to Anthro and SO GOOD. I got it in a medium and plan to wear either a tight black cami underneath or a black lacy bra (depends on the occasion).
Pleated Wide-Leg Trousers: These are just so chic on. The wide leg is WIDE and almost looks like a skirt in the best way. I will definitely need to get them hemmed a few inches, but they are flattering and so versatile. Order your normal size in these!
Oversized Boxy Sweater: I love this because, while it’s boxy, the sleeves are fitted from the elbow down, which give it a more polished look. I love the little mock neck, too. This comes in a bunch of colors, and I would size down (I’m usually a medium in tops but got the small).
Long Sleeve Black Tee: I’m in the market for a plain, long sleeve black tee, and this fit the bill. Love it! Got a medium.
Angled Drop Earrings: I’m getting tired of my hoops but don’t necessarily want to get the same gold drop earrings that everyone is wearing right now. Therefore, when I saw these, I said to myself “That’ll do, pig.” They are FABULUST.
Mini Gold Initial Necklace: I love the subtly of this teeny tiny initial so much. I got the M and it will absolutely be featured on a forthcoming gift guide. It’s such a good gift!
Now, let’s talk Target sweatshirts. This cropped crewneck is exceptional, and I now have it in gray and black. You can dress it up or down, and for $18, it’s a steal.
I also grabbed this little red riding hoodie because I can’t resist a red sweater.
Lastly, this cropped trench coat from Madewell is even better than I thought it was going to be. I got it last week while jackets were 25% off, and I’m so glad I did. Right now, though, you can use code LTK20 for $20 off any order $100+. This trench runs big, so definitely size down! I got the small and it’s perfect.
AND! Don’t forget to download the LTK app and follow me there to shop any and all of my looks or pieces. I try to be diligent about linking things there so it’s easy for you to shop my stuff, but let me know what more I can do to make it painless for you.
A quick note about this year’s gift guides…
Next week, I will be heads down creating all of this year’s gift guides. Putting these together every holiday season is a labor of love that I enjoy doing because you guys genuinely value them and use them, and if I can make holiday shopping even a little less of a mind fuck for you, I want to do that.
This year’s guides will be For Her, For Him, For Kids (of all ages), For Home/Kitchen, For Tech/Travel, For Curly Girls (I had to), Splurge Items, and of course, 50 Under $50. I could make 100 guides if I was getting super specific, but I’m relying on you guys to not take them too literally and understand that anything listed on any list can be for anyone.
Gift guides will be live by Monday, November 20th so
GIRD
YOUR
LOINS.
Until then…
— EGM
I just finished watching "All the Light We Cannot See," and I highly recommend reading it. I enjoyed the series, but the book is beautifully written and is one of my all time favorites.