The 📖📺🎧🔪🛍️ List

A fun new segment, Chappell Roan, two killer summer salads, lemon poppyseed muffins, and the perfect spring wedding guest dress!

Something new I want to try at the top of every free Friday letter is an “Overheard” segment. I don’t get out in public nearly as much as I used to; ever since switching to full-time freelance + COVID + getting older and becoming more of a reclusive errand-runner rather than a busy little socialite, my public outings are fewer and far between. However, any time I am out and about, one of my absolute favorite pastimes is eavesdropping. When I do this, I seem to catch hilarious/weird/interesting snippets of conversations that stick in my craw, and 9 times out of 10, I don’t know the full story, which then enables me to use my imagination to make up the backstory of the snippet I hear. It’s like free gossip with total strangers that has absolutely no impact on your life or theirs!

So each Friday, I will share the most interesting overheard snippet of the week that we can all speculate about for no good reason! It’s giving “let’s gossip to get our heart rates up,” and I’m here for it.

Miniluxe Nail Salon - Dallas, TX - Highland Park

Thursday, 4/18 | Approx. 6pm

Woman with a perfect blowout, oversized horn-rimmed glasses, wide leg crop jeans, Hermes belt, black pashmina draped just-so over one arm who has just finished her manicure approaches another woman at salon.

Pashmina: Hiiii! So good to see you!

Other woman: You, too!

Pashmina: (Name), this is (name). And (name), this is Steve’s mom!

Other woman looks to the woman seated right beside her: OH! Oh my gosh! Hi!

*Laughter*

Pashmina to Steve’s mom: It’s our 30th reunion this weekend.

*I quickly do math. Okay, so these women are almost 50.*

Pashmina: Did you see (name) isn’t coming because she’s having a baby???

Other woman and Steve’s mom react.

Pashmina: At 49???????????????????

SPECULATION: Having a baby at almost 50? That’s wild. The general age for menopause in the U.S. is 51 (I googled it this morning), so it’s not impossible. So I say good for whoever this woman is. You have to wonder if it was natural or IVF and if she already has kids and was desperate for one more or maybe never had them and decided in the 11th hour it was time? Also, fuck the term “geriatric pregnancy” once you’re over 35. If you’re having a kid at almost 50, 35 is the new 25.

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WATCHING 📺

We are all in on Shōgun. We had started it weeks ago, but I was really sleepy on that specific night, so hardly stayed awake throughout episode one. We let it sit for a while then fired it back up, and GD — it is so good. The lead actress, Anna Sawai, is so stupidly stunning it’s not fair. She’s gorgeous on the show, but outside the show, it’s like holy crap. I didn’t know God made them like that. Excuse my girl crush. Anyway, the show itself is phenomenal and the attention to detail to truly transport you to the year 1600 in Japan is beyond. We’ve watched a few BTS clips, and the actors discuss how difficult the language and movements were to learn because everything was so incredibly proper and stilted. We absolutely love this show and don’t want it to end. Watch it on Hulu.

We also started watching an older series called The Man in the High Castle, which depicts what the world would’ve been like if Germany had won WWII. Essentially, the U.S. is 70% Nazi territory, 20% Japanese territory, and 10% neutral territory, and it’s terrible. Not the show, the situation. The first episode is a bit slow, but it picks up pretty fast and is getting more and more interesting. Watch it on Prime.

Conan O’Brien did Hot Ones recently, and it has quickly become the most insane, epic episode of this beloved wing-centric show. In true Conan fashion, he completely overdoes it, and it’s fucking hilarious. He has a new show that just dropped on Max called Conan O’Brien Must Go, and I can’t wait to binge it. In the meantime, though, the Hot Ones episode is worth the watch.

LISTENING TO 🎵

No, I haven’t listened to TTPD yet. Yes, I’m going to but I am making myself finish this letter and other work so I can hit “play” in peace and listen unbothered. So stay tuned.

What I have been listening to is Chappell Roan. Holy mother of pearl, this woman is beyond talented. I had heard whisperings of her but never dabbled, then Zac randomly threw her Tiny Desk performance on, and I sat there with my mouth ajar the entire time. She is so different, so unique, so wild, so good, just SO EVERYTHING. I love her schtick, her vocals, her lyrics, her energy — AH! I suggest watching her NPR appearance first, then diving into her discography. She had me at “But we’re knee-deep in the passenger seat and you’re eating me out, is it casual now?”

MAKING 🔪

I made two summer salads the past week, both by Love & Lemons, and both were soooooooo good.

Grilled Potato Salad with Scallion Vinaigrette & Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad

For the potato salad, forget the blueberries. They’re totally unnecessary and add nothing to the dish.

For the cherry tomato salad, I would roast ALL the tomatoes instead of doing half roasted, half fresh. I also didn’t have couscous and used farro instead, and think I prefer that?

I also made Brocc Your Body’s One Pan Italian Orzo Skillet, and it was SO BOMB. I ate every scrap of leftover for two lunches, and every bite was delicious. It’s super easy, and I think kids would eat it easily. Also - she just released her first cookbook, which you should totally get. I love her style because she’s not a trained chef — she just cooks what sounds good and has a knack for combining flavors perfectly!

Lastly, I made these Lemon Poppyseed Muffins by Butternut Bakery this week and O-M-G. I don’t know how this woman does it — “it” being figuring out these perfect bakes. Her instructions are detailed and specific, but as long as you follow them exactly, you will amaze yourself with her creations. These muffins were bakery-level good, and I will 100000% be making them again.

SHOPPING 🛍️

• So the other week, I told you guys I was going to wear this Anthro dress to a wedding we’re attending tonight. That was true, until I found this dress from Abercrombie that fit the bill in many more ways. I’m going to keep the Anthro dress because it’s so pretty and easy for summer, but this off-the-shoulder, green & white number is much more fitting for a spring wedding with a “cool cocktail” dress code.

Pardon the socks… and the hair. And the bins. And everything.

• I use Oral-B’s iO electric toothbrush and love the round brush SO much. Zac has been on his Phillips Sonicare for years, so I decided to upgrade him this week without his consent. He didn’t complain. It’s a superior electric toothbrush, FWIW.

• Lastly, I LOVE a slipper (fun fact: I don’t like being barefoot. I always want to be wearing a slipper or sock inside) and was due for some new spring/summer slipper sandals so I ordered these extremely fun ones from Amazon. AREN’T THEY GREAT?!

  

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That’s gonna do it for today’s free letter. I’m off to finish some more work then put on my noise-cancelling headphones and digest TTPD.

Have a great weekend!

— EGM