The 📖📺🎧🔪🛍️ List
Hijack, Rick Glassman, iced mocha protein drinks, and fall clothes from Sézane
My week in a nutshell:
Unpack from Wisconsin
Settle back into routine
Workout daily
Work daily
Squeeze in some friend time
Eat a few homemade meals
Repack
Fly to Atlanta
Zac and I are spending the weekend with his family in Georgia. We haven’t seen them since May and won’t see them again until Christmas, so we nabbed the only random summer weekend we could to head east. I’m not even sure why I bothered unpacking Monday only to re-pack on Wednesday night, but such is life. I will say, these see-through toiletry bags I got from Target last year have proven themselves over and over again and I love traveling with them FWIW.
All right, let’s get into this week’s list.
READING 📖
I am THISCLOSE to finishing The Christmas Orphans Club, and I honestly don’t want it to end. I didn’t expect to love it this much and can’t wait to give y’all a full review. Keep your eyes peeled because Becca Freeman might make a newsletter appearance in the near future… 👀
WATCHING 📺
Zac and I collectively cannot decide whether we hate this show or not. The writing is pretty terrible to the point where I’m almost wondering if this is an early AI-written script. Ya know, to test it out? It’s just bad. Corny. Not very intriguing. At its best, it’s unpredictable, which I guess makes it exciting; at its worst, it’s stupid. We’re on episode four and STILL have no idea why the fuck these people hijacked the plane, FFS! It’s just not making much sense, and methinks they felt Idris could carry the entire show with his good looks and, while they definitely don’t hurt, his beauty isn’t enough. As I’m writing this, Zac is literally reading an article about why we’re in the Ukraine—that’s how uninterested we are.
The thing is, I never really knew much about Arnold Schwarzenegger besides that he was the Terminator and the governor of California. That was truly the extent of my Arnold knowledge because why would I, a red-blooded American female fond of unconventionally attractive and somewhat nerdy men, care past that? However. We watched the three-part Arnold doc on Netflix, and holy fuck. Say what you will, but this man is an actual legend. The drive. The ambition. The power of positive thinking (that, yes, can sometimes read as cockiness). His life story, grit, and determination are pretty fucking remarkable, and the documentary is so well done. I could kill him for having an affair and ruining his marriage, but. I guess there is no but. We loved the docuseries and I highly recommend it.
Terminator 1 & 2
Of course, after watching that, we had to watch both Terminators, WHICH I HAD NEVER SEEN. I was so young when the first one came out and had no interest by the time the second one arrived, so we sat down and watched them in full. I liked the first one a lot more—the horrific CGI on his face was incredible. Also, it was a revelation for Zac who had only ever seen it 100 times on cable TV and had no idea that there was a full sex scene WITH boobs. His young self lived for that stuff, and his 41-year-old mind was blown which was hilarious to see.
LISTENING TO 🎧
I’m growing tired of podcasts in general. Everyone has one and I just don’t find much of it very unique anymore. HOWEVER, I just discovered Rick Glassman’s Take Your Shoes Off podcast and feel saved. You guys know I’m a comedy girlie at heart, and TYSO may be the greatest comedy podcast of all time. Maybe. Rick is a beautiful Jewish nerd from Ohio who has had very small roles in a very sitcoms over the years but is mainly known for his stand-up and his uncanny improv-ability (see what I did there?). One of his most recent episodes guest stars Lisa Gilroy, who you may also recognize from a few very small television roles + some national TV commercials. She is absolutely fucking hilarious and so is Rick and together, this episode is one of the funniest, most chaotic and absurd things I’ve ever listened to. It’s absolutely not everyone’s cup of tea; it’s comedic genius and so fast-paced, they barely stay on an joke for more than 5 seconds. But dear god. It is perfect.
If you listen and you love it, please reach out to me directly because we need to be closer friends.
Another fantastic podcast episode is Ryan Reynolds on Smartless. This particular episode is from 2021, but I didn’t start listening to Smartless until super recently so I’m catching up. I was always iffy on RR because he’s just so… conventionally attractive and funny? But after watching Welcome to Wrexham, I gained a new respect for him and now love him and everything he’s about. Highly recommend listening to his episode!
MAKING 🔪
I honestly haven’t made much to write home about lately. I was in Wisconsin last week/weekend, and this week was another short week, so there hasn’t been a lot of kitchen experimentation going on.
I will say, though, that the Iced Mocha Protein drink I picked up from my college friend @aullorganized has made its way into my morning routine, and I’m loving it. All you do is go to your local coffee shop, ask for 2 shots of espresso over ice in the biggest cup they have, then pour your chocolate-flavored protein drink of choice over the ice. I use OWYN’s dark chocoloate drink, but it’s up to you (stay away from Orgain’s plant-based one, though. It’s terrible). ENJOY!
SHOPPING 🛍️
I realized I’m in dire (yes, dire) need of a black shoulder bag, so I ended up ordering this one from Anthropologie and have to say I love it. I was skeptical at first because it’s not a super structured bag, but I’ve learned how to work with it and love that it comes with a matching zip pouch for all the things. For $100, it’s a steal and feels like real leather. The hobo-ish silhouette is effortless “cool girl” energy, and I dig it.
In fact, I had a mini shopping spree at Anthro and have two more items to share with y’all. The first is this impossibly happy and fun rainbow bead necklace. I actually went in to return something, saw this on my way to the register, and grabbed it. I’ve been wanting a fun summer necklace and, while summer is nearly over (thank the good lord), it feels classic enough that I’love be wearing it into fall and for many more seasons!
Next up are these pants. I’ve been having a love affair with pants this summer (which is a weird time to start that affair, but sometimes love makes no sense), and these were just added to my line-up. I love them because they’re lightweight for spring/summer but will easily transition into fall. Plus, their material makes them stretchy and comfortable as hell. Although they’re already cropped, I got the petite in my typical size to ensure they hit right at the ankle on my 5’4” frame, and they do. You could totally go down a size because of how much stretch these pants have; if I were you, I’d order both sizes and return whichever one you don’t need!
My sister surprised me last weekend in Wisconsin with ANOTHER water bottle in the form of the Owala 40 oz tumbler. I need another water bottle like I need a third boob, and I actually wanted this SO BAD but wouldn’t allow myself to do it, so thank god for sisters. It runs circles around the Stanley. It’s lightweight, way cuter, and has both a straw AND sipping function. She got me the Tropical Orange color and it’s so happy.
Also in Wisconsin last weekend, the house we were staying in had this incredible, large-capacity coffee bean grinder and after using it one time, I immediately ordered it. It’s De’Longhi so it’s not cheap, but if you grind your own beans at home, it could be worth it for you like it is for me.
Last but nowhere near least (in fact, the most), I got a little crazy ordering some Sézane pieces for the fall and, unfortunately, almost all of them were incredible so I have to keep them all. I plan to do a try-on reel next week so you can see them in action, but I figured I might as well let readers in on what I got before then. Here was my haul:
The Thelma Belt: I got a black Gucci belt with gold hardware while in Italy during our honeymoon and, like a fool, tried it on over a dress at the narrowest part of my waist. Imagine my surprise when we got home and it didn’t work with my jeans. I tried so hard, but there was no saving my mistake. Anyway, I’ve been dying for a similar (but much less expensive) belt since and this one from Sézane fit the bill (and me). French sizing is weird, but what I can tell you is that I got the 95 to ensure I had enough room and it’s perfect!
La Chamade T-shirt: I need more cute graphic tees, and I’m a sucker for a heart, so this was a no-brainer. I got a medium and it’s perfect!
Dafné Blouse: THIS BLOUSE. OMG, it is so divine. I love red, I love a wrap blouse, and it’s so light and airy. This blouse is just so French and feminine, and I feel gorgeous in it. Cannot wait to wear it this fall with a red lip! I got the 8.
Angie Cardigan: I’m pretty sure this is the cardigan that inspired Taylor’s hit single in 2020. Guys, it is so beautiful and soft and French and feminine. I am obsessed with it and imagining it with blue jeans and brown booties in October has become my happy place during a panic attack. I got the medium!
The Gaël Mariniere Tee: What a name, right? The collar detail on this shirt jumped out at me, and I couldn’t resist it. I was hoping it wouldn’t be as cute in person, but my hopes were dashed. It’s a fantastic, long-sleeve for the fall and winter and I urge you to get it. I got the medium.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. I have some exciting things coming down the pipe on the paid side of things, including a list of all the viral products YOU guys have tried and HATED, so consider upgrading today so you don’t miss out!
Another vote for the hijack review. Finished it too, grudgingly! First episode was good and then it just got progressively weirder.
I love that rainbow necklace and might need to get it myself! Can't wait for your Sézane try-on!
I felt the same about hijack. Finished it but not sure it was worth all that time.....???? Haha