When I originally set out to write this letter, I thought I could do one of two things. I could tell you about my Summer almost like a pulse check of what went right and what went wrong or I could share some discoveries that made my world a bit sunnier. Let’s start with the latter.
These were some things that made my world a little bit sunnier. Maybe they’ll have the same effect for you. If you found any new discoveries or even rediscoveries, I’d love to hear ‘em in the comments below.
The footwear
When I bought these shoes, I promised myself they couldn’t sit in my closet the whole summer and they definitely couldn’t just be worn for a special occasion. Considering the worn of these heels, I think that’s a promise I kept. I wore them everywhere and found myself building outfits around them. Perfect for dressing up a good pair of jeans and a white tee, any slip dress or that leopard skirt. Every time I slipped these on, I was not just a little excited, I was GIDDY (yes, all caps) to wear them, which is a feeling I’ve yet to experience when it comes to a heel. I will bring them to the cobbler this week.
The hair
This time last year, my hair was falling out. The guy I was seeing made it a point to tell me my hair was still in his bathroom. This felt not so great. Anywho, if it wasn’t for medication and my childhood hair stylist’s guidance, I don’t think I would have had any confidence on my sister’s wedding day. Hair extensions made a world of a difference. I was hesitant at first. I might wear them to every wedding going forward until my hair grows evenly back.
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Proud of
Sanding - I sanded my parents wrap around porch. Who knew?
Book Club - I joined a book club. Helena, who? I think my therapist almost fell off her chair.
Self care
I’ve always been the “I do my own nails” type of person. As of this Summer and all life’s functions I’ve been sprinkling nail sessions in. What I like about it is my nails and bare nails look good plus it’s a half an hour of me sitting there with my thoughts and just existing. It’s given me two things: (1) something to look forward to and (2) routine depending on how often if I build it into my schedule
From one of those manicure appointments - I think the last time I got a French was for my first Holy Communion… I’m obsessed.
In July, I had a cleaning lady come to my apartment. Not because I was moving, but because after playing mental ping pong with my own pros and cons list, I told myself “let’s see”. And let me tell you my life will never be the same. Here’s to doing more things in my thirties that fill that cup.
I have a love/hate relationship with Orange theory. It hasn’t stuck. For the past two weeks, I’ve been slowly weaving in ClassPass workouts. Last week I went to twice in one week, which is huge for me. Groundbreaking, in fact. So far, I’m loving bodē and Heatwise. At bodē, I like the Hot Sculpt class and at Heatwise I like Some Like It Hot
The sounds - in the exact order I heard them
Kacey Musgraves - Rainbow. In May, a friend invited me to see Ben Platt. Kacey Musgraves made an appearance and the two of them sung “Rainbow”. I’ve also been enjoying “Butterflies” and “Slow Burn”
“Almost” by Hozier - this one pulls at my heart strings for that person I wished it worked out with
“Part of Your World” - I heard a violinist play this song from The Little Mermaid on the 96th St subway platform. It brought tears to my eyes. Happy ones. All I could think about was what it might look like when my sister walked down the aisle on her wedding day. A dramatic song for a dramatic moment. There’s a couple of instrumental versions out there. My favorite is by Karaoke All Keys on Spotify.
The whole Zach Bryan album especially “Bass Boat” and “Boons”. Something about that one reminds me of Phillip Phillips’ “Home”
“Growin’ Up” by Bruce Springsteen. I heard this amongst family at a surprise birthday party my sister threw for me. It came on just after everyone sung Happy Birthday
The food
Lord’s (506 LaGuardia Pl, New York, NY) - wowww. We ordered just enough - the oysters kilpatrick, curried lamb scotch egg, a salad, bread, and the steak.
Plus the blueberry crumble & chamomile ice cream for my birthday Babbler’s Restaurant (19 NY-296, Windham, NY) - My sister’s second surprise was a weekend getaway to Windham for my birthday. We stayed at the Wylder. I was blown away by her planning. I was also blown away by their restaurant, Babbler’s. I find it rare when a hotel restaurant and bar measures up to the rest of the hotel experience. It shows me that the restaurant wasn’t an after thought. If I lived in Windham or in the surrounding area, I think I would be a regular dinner guest at Babbler’s. The Bang Bang Cauliflower Bites were the favorite, think sweet chili tossed crispy florets with tahini yogurt dip.
The drinks
Baxter Brewery Blueberry Ale - I had this in New Hampshire and miss it.
The Melon Dew drink at Reception Bar (45 Orchard St, New York, NY) is unreal. I don’t have a photo, but I’ll do you one better with a video. The drink consisted of makgeolli, honeydew, honey, and soju (basically every drink there had soju).
The hack
I love stationery. There are days where I walk into McNally Jackson like it’s Target and walk out with one or two things I didn’t need. The difference between McNally and Target is that at Target the impulse purchases I make are from the $5 or less section and that’s unheard of inside a stationery shop. The next best thing is something free. And that is this digital collection I stumbled upon. It’s from Appointed, so you know it’s good. My favorites are the calendar sheets and the daily time tracker.
In closing, I know this list is a list of well… things. Some are practices that I have to make a habit of. Key word: habit. I also know you don’t eat the fruit once you plant the seed. To me, these are all seeds. I’m watering them
A special shout out to my sister for not listening to me when I said I didn’t want a 30th birthday celebration and insisting on finding time to celebrate me. I love you