The 📖📺🎧🔪🛍️ List
Mallrat, Olivia Rodrigo, the best homemade waffles EVER, my favorite eye makeup remover, and so much more!
Hello and good morning and happy Friday to all! Whether you’ve been around or you’re new here, thank you for letting me into your inbox today. I’ve had a newsletter element to EMMASTHING for many years now, but made the switch to Substack at the beginning of this year then, shortly after in February, started offering a paid side to the letter as well.
To say it’s been rewarding would be an understatement. I was so nervous to a) switch over to Substack in general and b) follow it up with offering a paid subscription. Like who did I think I was to put any of my own writing behind a paywall? Needless to say, I’m proud that I took the risk and, for someone who spent so long identifying with being an over-sharer, have found great solace in creating a more private, sacred online community for the heavier, more personal stuff.
All that to say, this is my plug to consider upgrading. Here’s some quick, harmless math:
It’s $5 a month or $50 for the year OR, if you’re not fucking around, $75 as a “Ride or Die” member (no idea what that will entail, though. Possibly a birth announcement? A snail mail holiday card every year? My first born? Who knows). I average about 10 letters a month (free + paid), so that’s 50¢/letter every month or 41¢/letter if you pay annually. Okay. Sale pitch over.
We have A LOT to go over today because I’ve been keeping a running list for over two weeks, so let’s dive in.
WATCHING 📺
I told you I’ve been collecting this list for a while, thusly why there’s a scary movie on it. Zac and I aren’t big scary movie people in general, but we wanted to watch at least one around Halloween. We had a lot of trouble picking one and landed on Deliver Us From Evil because neither of us are religious and devil shit doesn’t freak us out too bad. This is an older movie with Eric Bana and Olivia Munn (hot couple alert) and is insanely corny and horribly told, BUT the exorcism scene at the end is worth it. It was so fucking freaky and well done.
I had never seen this front to back. I mean, it came out in ‘96 when I was the ripe age of 9, so why would I have seen it? I was familiar with the iconic Tom-Cruise-dangling-from-a-rope-scene, but that was it. Tom is a psycho, but he makes fucking fantastic movies — can we all just admit that? Anything he stars in, I will see. Period.
Pete Holmes: “I Am Not for Everyone”
Pete Holmes confuses me. Like, he’s funny… but so weird. His look is just so goofy and purebred that it’s hard to get past sometimes. Anyone else? Anyway, we loved his show Crashing on HBO, so we started watching his latest Netflix stand-up special. He has some great nuggets (like “Have you ever had to poop so bad, you go BEFORE you pee?” That made us scream-laugh) if you can get past some of his facial expressions and whatnot.
I rewatch GG almost every fall. It’s my little thing. I have so much to say this time around, but I’ll leave it at this — someone wrote me and said they read somewhere how your POV changes with each rewatch. Like your first time, you see it through Rory’s lens. Second go-round, you see it via Lorelei’s. Your third time (when you’re well into your 30s like me), you see it through Emily’s lens and realize what an absolute queen she is. Bow down to Emily Gilmore.
Speaking of girls, have you seen this incredible Mean Girls commercial for Walmart? SO GOOD.
LISTENING TO 🎧
Fun fact about me: My first big concert was Incubus. My high school boyfriend was beyond obsessed with them so, naturally, I was, too. I remember what I wore to the show: a white “wife beater” tank top, my low-rise, bootcut Hudson jeans, red Converse sneakers that had permanent marker writing all over them (of course), and neon green earrings. I was METAL, BABY. Anyway, Zac and I got on an Incubus kick the other week and it was lovely to revisit. Brandon’s voice is just butter.
Obviously, I’ve been listening to the re-release of 1989 on repeat. This is the Taylor album that changed my mind about her, which is exactly what she intended to do. It was such a departure from all her other stuff, and I remember stopping in my tracks and thinking “Wait. Who THE FUCK is THIS?” Specifically, I don’t think I ever listened to “Wonderland” back in 2014 and now I can’t stop. It’s SO good?
At one point this week when I had gone through the whole album, Spotify rolled into Mallrat and, once again, I was like “Wait. Who THE FUCK is THIS?” I am obsessed. Her beats and rhythms and melodies are SO good and, of course, she’s an Aussie. All the best people are.
Finally, I got around to listening to Olivia Rodrigo’s newest album and WOW. This chick. She is so wildly talented and such a force. Even Zac, who is 21 years her senior, was like “She’s badass.” Her sound and vocal range and personality in her songs are all explosive, and if I had her around when I was in my teens and early 20s, I would’ve felt so much more understood. “Vampire” is unreal, and the “Fuck it, it’s fine” in “bad idea, right?” is TOO GOOD!
Do I love pop? Is that my favorite genre? Do we consider these girls pop? Pop doesn’t feel right. Someone help me identify what music genre I seem to be drawn to, please. Thanks.
MAKING 🔪
I started this week with (what I think was) a stomach bug and wasn’t ready to eat “real” food until Wednesday when I suddenly was craving waffles. I’m not a breakfast-for-dinner girlie, but Zac would eat breakfast for every meal if he could, so he was delighted when I suggested waffles for dinner. I found this recipe, followed it exactly, and HOLY FUCK. THESE ARE THE BEST HOMEMADE WAFFLES I’VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE.
The beaten egg whites folded into the batter is what makes these waffles so incredibly fluffy and amazing. I will never stray from this recipe — this is it. The ultimate. Also, I’ve had this waffle maker for years and it’s fantastic in case you’re in the market!
Another recipe I love for an easy, one-pot, healthy weeknight meal is Baked Chicken Thighs with Brussels and Sweet Potatoes. Follow the recipe exactly (including the few minutes of broiling at the end) and you will love.
SHOPPING 🛍️
While I love the Diamond Dazzle Stik for emergency situations, the best diamond/jewelry cleaner in the world that will literally have your shit SPARKLING is Razzle Dazzle. Ellen always offers to clean my rings when I’m visiting, and they never look more dazzling than after they’ve been soaking in this solution. The set comes with a big bottle, a small bottle, and a “bath set” for your jewels to soak in when you have the time to wait. Leave them for an hour or a day, scrub them with the little brush, and prepare to be amazed. Truly, it’s incredible stuff.
The only eye makeup remover I truly love is this stuff by Physician’s Formula. It’s a creamy formula, so much more gentle on the eyes, and it’s super effective.
I am obsessed with Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere and how perfect her life seems (I’ve mentioned this before). She is so good at ear parties and, upon realizing I’ve never bought any of her earrings, I decided to change that last week. I got this tiny pair with a pop of green and these gorgeous, sparkly double hoop huggies. I had about 15 tabs open and it was so hard to narrow down since I want all her stuff. You will be seeing her jewelry on future gift guides, FOR SURE.
My shoe collection was in dire need of an updated pair of black booties, so I got these from Madewell (during a recent sale) and they are FABULOUS. Can I just say, I never thought I’d see the day I was happy that skinny jeans were “out” and, well… I’m happy they’re out! It makes wearing boots like these with jeans so much easier. Anyway, they are true to size and so sexy. Can’t wait to sport them this weekend!
I got these Ribcage Levi’s during the Nordstrom sale this summer and love them so much. I then realized yesterday at Target that they have the same ones in a medium wash that I needed, so… I got them! Don’t ask me about sizing because literally sizing is just so stupid in general and it changes so much depending on the brand. I’d say order your normal size and a size up, then return what doesn’t fit.
Whew. I think that’s all. It’s a lot, I know but I hope you enjoy every ounce of it.
Have an amazing weekend and we’ll talk next week!
— EGM