Just Good Shit: 11.24.19

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

Hello! Here’s what I was up to this week…

On the blog

• Here are all of my all-time favorite podcast episodes

• Tiny party tip: state your shoe intentions in advance

• The best things to do with your mom when she visits NYC

Editing

How to Support Your Partner of Color at Your White Family's Holiday Gathering

Winter Has Surprised Me for the Last Time

Reading

This week I read In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, which I loved.

Also:

What It Means to Name a Forgotten Murder Victim, The Atlantic.

Here’s Why I Stopped Making ‘Healthy Swaps’ at Thanksgiving, SELF.

#1237: “What to do about deliberately bad gifts?” A post about letting go of some etiquette rules when they no longer serve you., Captain Awkward.

Sisqo Told Us the Origin Story for His Timeless Masterpiece, 'Thong Song', VICE.

Listening to

I listened to several very good episodes of You’re Wrong About this week, including “The Challenger Disaster” (one of my favorites of the series), “Enron,” “The 2000 Election,” and “The Duke Lacrosse Rape Case.”

And I couldn’t stop bopping to this Nicki Minaj x Animal Crossing mashup!

Have a great Sunday! 🦃

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The best things to do with your mom when she visits NYC

I have a treat for you today: Terri is back! This post was borne out of a conversation I was having with a few coworkers about things to do with moms when they visit NYC. My main contribution was “I just ask my friend Terri” because it’s true — she’s truly the best when it comes to NYC recommendations. My coworkers immediately clamored for Terri’s list of mom recs. (“Terri, drop the album” is an exact quote.) She graciously obliged, which brings us to this list! —Rachel

Photo: Callum Chapman on Unsplash

My mom likes to visit New York. A lot. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, and two of her daughters and two grandchildren live here, so yeah, you could say she’s a New York stan. To be honest, I think she’d be perfectly content if every visit consisted of nonstop bonding time with her daughters and grandsons, punctuated by a few visits to Bloomingdale’s and more than a few plates of chicken parm. But! I love activities, and I love my mom, so I find distinct joy in thinking of new, fun things to do with her that make her say, “New York has changed so much since I left, I love it! Do you want a Twizzler?”

If your mom is planning a visit to New York, you may be wondering what to do with her that isn’t too touristy (or too fussy), but still feels fun and special. Luckily, I have a large data sample, and I’m not afraid to show it. Here are some favorites — you could easily apply these activities to any family member or friend that’s visiting, but know that these have the Carol Pous seal of approval: 

1. Go to Governor's Island.

   I love Governor’s Island, and so did my mom when I took her there (my dad did too, FWIW). It’s a cheap ferry ride to get there, and on a nice day, you get incredible views of the city, lots of places to bike around (get a got-dang SURREY if you know what’s good for you), food trucks, historical buildings, and usually some kind of fun event — they do the Jazz Age Lawn Festival there. Do it!!!!

2. Stroll along the Dumbo riverfront (aka Brooklyn Bridge Park).

   This is perfect for a nice day. You can see the carousel and an amazing view of Lower Manhattan, walk around the really nice waterfront and surrounding neighborhood, and eat at the new Time Out Market, which has a ton of popular New York spots and a rooftop that looks right out onto Brooklyn Bridge.

3. Visit the Tenement Museum.

   This is less of a museum, and more of an experience, but if you want something really powerful and meaningful to do, this is it. You can choose from several different stories (Irish immigrants, Jewish immigrants, Puerto Rican immigrants, Chinese immigrants, etc.) and then go inside the actual places where they lived and worked. You have to book at least a few days in advance, but it’s so worth it, especially if your mom loves history and family stories. I’ve also done the Lower East Side food tour through the museum, and I highly, highly recommend it.

4. Eat dessert.

   Do this literally anywhere?? Veniero’s and Ferrara’s are classic, old-school Italian bakeries where you can sit down and have a little coffee and some ‘zerts. I also like Serendipity, Caffe Panna, and Two Little Red Hens.

5. Go to Bloomingdale’s.

   Are there three Bloomingdale’s within a 10-minute drive of my parents’ house? Yes. Is this still my mom’s number-one favorite thing to do in the city? Also yes. It’s a New York institution, and I think my mom loves Bloomie’s so much because growing up, she couldn’t afford to shop there, so now it’s a never-ending treat that she can partake in while also eating a Magnolia cupcake (because of course there’s a Magnolia Bakery in a department store).

   However, I highly recommend skipping Magnolia and instead stopping by 40 Carats on the seventh floor, kind of hidden near the linens — you can get the delicious fro-yo in the to-go line, or you can do what my mom and I do, which is have a full sit-down lunch (I recommend the carrot soup, the pretzel bread, the three-salad combo, and any special that comes with a side of fro-yo). Overall, Bloomie’s is almost more of an activity than a shopping spot. Although there is some great shopping there, too.

6. Go to the Met.

   I mean, duh. Every visitor should go to the Met — it’s great. My mom particularly loves the Costume Institute exhibits, but the Met has everything from Egyptian artifacts to an entire Frank Lloyd Wright living room. There is something for every mom!

7. Eat a “cute” brunch.

   My mom loves doing “special things with her girls” (I have three sisters), and cute brunches are pretty high up there. Any place will do, but some tried-and-tested favorites are Friend of a Farmer, Friedman’s, Sadelle's, Westville, and Bluebell Cafe.

8. And go to a cozy dinner.

   The same cute brunch rule applies to cozy dinners. Some favorites that really play into the cozy factor are Supper (get the chicken parm and the hazelnut panna cotta) and Cafe Katja (get the Austrian meatballs).

9. Walk around the Union Square Farmers Market.

   We rarely buy anything, but there’s great people watching (big plus for Carol), and there are usually free samples (even bigger plus for Carol). 

10. Shop on Fifth Avenue by Flatiron.

    If you and mom want to go shopping, and it’s also a nice day out, this is your best bet. It doesn’t get slammed with tourists like Soho, but it has almost the exact same stores (Gap, J. Crew, Madewell, Anthro, Zara, H&M). Plus, you can walk over to Madison Square Park after and get Shake Shack and people watch.

11. Hang in Central Park.

    You already knew this, but it really doesn’t disappoint. Spread out a blanket in Sheep Meadow, bring some bagels from Ess a Bagel/Brooklyn Bagel Cafe/Murray’s/Zucker’s, sneak in some wine, and sit and watch the world go by.

12. Walk on the High Line to the Whitney or the Vessel/Hudson Yards.

    I know, I know, I said these weren’t touristy ideas, but I low-key love the High Line when it isn’t wall-to-wall people. I like sitting on one of the lounge chair thingies or walking from one end to the other; it’s just a great, scenic activity. Chelsea Market is also a really great place to stop along the way (go to Cull and Pistol and get anything with seafood).

13. See a Broadway show.

    But if you want to get cheap tickets, go to the TKTS line in Lincoln Center or South Street Seaport (not Times Square). The TodayTix app and Stubhub are also faves for getting last-minute discounts. [Rachel’s note: Every season, I just wait for Terri to tell me which show to take my mom to and her rec is always correct. My mom loved Something Rotten and The Prom. On her next visit, we’re seeing Derren Brown’s Secret.]

14. Take a ferry ride!

    You can do the whole shebang and on a proper Circle Line tour, or you can pay $2.75 and take the NYC Ferry. (Either to go to a destination or just to be on a boat for a bit — it’s very nice up top.)

15. Check out Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty.

    Again, this is kind of an obvious one, but worth mentioning. (The ticket includes both locations). If you want to save money, the Staten Island Ferry is free, and offers great views of the Statue of Liberty as you sail by. 

16. And take in the botanical gardens.

    Pick with either the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, or the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. They’re lovely when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, and NYBG does some awesome exhibits like the Chihuly installation, but you can’t go wrong with either. I am freaky for botanical gardens!!!!

Thanks, Terri! By the way, here are my personal recs for moms (or really any out of town visitors): Brooklyn Flea; The New York Transit Museum (which was originally a Terri rec); the Staten Island Ferry; shopping at Flying Tiger, Fishs Eddy, and Books Are Magic; walking the Brooklyn Bridge; brunch at Miriam; and any food hall type places (like Smorgasburg, Chelsea Market, or City Point). I also recommend just hosting a house party/inviting your friends to come over to hang out/eat/drink/play games with you and your mom. —RWM ✨

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Tiny party tip: state your shoe intentions in advance

Image: Birdies

As winter party season approaches, I feel compelled to share a bit of advice that I consider crucial to being a good host/good friend. It’s quite simple: if you are a shoes-off household, tell your party guests that at some point in advance of said party.

Why is this so important? Well, because snowy/sleety boots are, understandably, the sort of thing many people don’t want inside their homes. Which is fine! I have no problem with this approach! But showing up to a party and being asked to remove your shoes when you weren’t planning to ranges from mildly annoying to a real inconvenience. Like, maybe you wore very bad socks that night, or you aren’t even wearing socks. Maybe you built your entire outfit around your cute shoes, which are now sitting in your friend’s hallway. None of these scenarios are life-threatening, of course, but all can make a guest feel slightly off their game in a way that is at odds with good hospitality. And it’s all avoidable because you can just tell people up front what the situation is!

You can mention this in the Flyer. You can throw it in with the dress code/what to wear. You can work it in during the flurry of “See you tonight!” “What should I bring?” “BTW our doorbell doesn’t really work!” texts in the days before the party. Truly, the medium doesn’t matter; all that matters is that the message gets conveyed some place that is not your front door.

If you’re a shoes-on household, I think it’s more acceptable to say nothing, because most folks assume that a party is going to be shoes-on. But I also think it’s probably a good idea to make a habit of it regardless!

Some of my friends and I have started texting each other, “Is this a shoes-off or a shoes-on situation?” before gatherings, which works perfectly well, and is always an option if your host hasn’t taken this advice.

In general, I don’t consider myself dogmatic about most things I write about. Like, use these tips or don’t! I don’t know your life!!! But this is one thing I actually feel very strongly about. Like, just tell your guests what to expect, especially if that thing is “I expect you to be in socks all night”! Do what you can to help them feel more comfortable and relaxed! It is literally not difficult or awkward to say this, and I promise you that no one is going to be like, Wow, what a fuckin WEIRDO, doing me this REAL-ASS COURTESY like a BITCH if you make a point to tell them this info up front. 👠

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Here are all of my all-time favorite podcast episodes

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

I recently realized that you can make Spotify playlists for podcasts, which was (great!) news to me. This is so practical, particularly if you want to easily save new podcast recs from friends, or collect/download a bunch of podcasts before, say, a long trip.

After learning this, I decided to put all of my favorite podcast episodes in a single playlist. I believe Terri — who has very good taste in podcasts — turned me onto the fact that episode recommendations tend to be more useful than general podcast recs, and I now have a running list of the ones I love and recommend to friends again and again.

Here are my favorite episodes, in no particular order!

Annnd if you don’t use Spotify, here’s the full list:

1. Phonology with Nicole Holliday, Ologies.

2. The Architect of Hollywood, 99% Invisible. (An excellent Terri rec!)

3. Food Fight, Revisionist History.

4. My Little Hundred Million, Revisionist History.

5. Michael Pollan: Conscious Eating, Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations.

6. Tushy, The Pitch.

7. Oprah, The Goop Podcast.

8. Miss Buchanan’s Period of Adjustment, Revisionist History.

9. We Talk BeyChella, Still Processing.

10. Sounds Natural, 99% invisible. (Another Terri rec; she knows all the best 99PI eps actually.)

11. Gabrielle Union Is Fed Up, Death, Sex, and Money.

12. Hoodies Up, 30 for 30.

13. Return to Ring of Keys, Nancy.

14. Cellies, Ear Hustle.

15. The Pentagon's Secret Gaggle of Gays, Nancy.

16. The O.J. Simpson Trial: Nicole Brown Simpson Part 1, You’re Wrong About.

17. Egyptology with Kara Cooney, Ologies.

While I was at it, I also made a playlist of all the podcast episodes that I’ve been on, if you’re interested!

The list:

1. Episode 27: Uniform Factor with Rachel Wilkerson Miller, Forever35

2. Episode 69: The Life-Changing Magic of Listening to Rachel, Another Round

3. How to Show Up, The Nod

4. Make New Friends (And Keep Them), NPR Life Kit

5. When Friendships Change, How To Cope, NPR Life Kit

6. The Surprising Benefits of Journaling, Stuff Mom Never Told You

7. How Am I Supposed to Make Friends?, Real Simple Adulthood Made Easy

8. 023 | Rachel Wilkerson Miller, Day in the Life

I may eventually get motivated enough to make themed podcast playlists, but I also don’t want to overpromise here. Regardless, I’ll continue update these playlists with new episodes as they come up (in case you’d like to follow them)! ✨

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Just Good Shit: 11.17.19

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

I’m normally a very resolute “I don’t recognize the existence of Christmas until after Thanksgiving” person…but this year, for whatever reason, I’m ready to skip ahead. I think it’s because Thanksgiving feels late this year (even though it always feels early when it’s not November 28th or later) and because I don’t have any big plans for that week. And because my body is calling out for twinkle lights and cozy blankets. Like, let’s just get on with it!!!

Anyway, here’s what I was up to this week…

On the blog

• Cozy potluck ideas

Editing

• Amateur Hour: ‘I Want to Fit in at Work, but I’m Not a Big Drinker’

• How to Explore Your Queerness When You Have a Straight Partner

Reading

What the battle over a 7-year-old trans girl could mean for families nationwide, Vox.

Suzy Batiz’s Empire of Odor, The New Yorker.

How to Make a Website, The Atlantic.
I love WikiHow and its incredibly wholesome/earnest approach to service content, so I really enjoyed this.

One of the most famous incidents of campus outrage was totally misrepresented, Vox.

Robyn Crawford Opens up to Lena Waithe About Her Relationship With Whitney Houston, Oprah.

The New Power Lunch Is Sweetgreen, Eater.

How foil balloons went from Instagram bait to every party in America, The Goods / Vox.

Apple Gives Up On Its Worst Design Mistake Ever: The Butterfly Keyboard, VICE.

Alison Roman Cooks Thanksgiving in a (Very) Small Kitchen, The New York Times.
This post is threatening to change my mind about Thanksgiving! I really want to try this stuffing. Also, it’s just a fun/voicey/servicey read.

Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I Started Cooking, A Cup of Jo.

I’m a Normal Person and I Buy My Instagram Followers, The Cut.

How To Name a Lesbian or Bisexual TV Character, Autostraddle.

Watching & listening to

I’ve started watching Twin Peaks, which I’ve never seen. I’m really enjoying it so far — it’s so mellow and the cozy mountain vibe is very much my shit. I also listened to some very good You’re Wrong About eps this week: Marcia Clark, Anita Hill, and “A Dingo’s Got My Baby.”

Shoe news

My beloved Tessa Clogs are now available in two new colors: honey and golden tan. I’ve ordered the honey and am very excited for them to arrive!

My girlfriend and I saw the J. Crew Sadie glitter boot online earlier this fall and were very into them, but then they suddenly disappeared entirely. After a lot of searching, she eventually found a new pair at a deep discount on Poshmark. I was (and am) jealous because even though they aren’t my typical style, they are so goddamn cute in person. Anyway, now they are back in stock at J. Crew! They are perfect for holiday parties, winter brides, and really anyone who wants to look like a winter witch.

Have a great Sunday! 🍁

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Cozy potluck ideas

This weekend, I had some friends over to my apartment for a potluck. I didn’t call this gathering a Friendsgiving because I didn’t want to give anyone the impression that I would be making a turkey (absolutely no), or imply that they should limit themselves to bringing Thanksgiving sides.

I’ve never been a big fan of Thanksgiving. This is due in large part to the fact that no one ever really bothers to make it fancy, which I don’t understand. Like, what is the point of a holiday if there isn’t cozy lights, a little sparkle, and an on-theme outfit???? (This doesn’t just apply to the end of year hols; it also includes Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and the 4th of July.) Give me a bougie Williams-Sonoma catalog party or nothing at all!!! I also just don’t like Thanksgiving food very much. It’s a lot of work/stress/money for not a lot of payoff, imo.

Anyway, the potluck went great! My mantra when thinking about this gathering was “do less.” I have a tendency to go overboard with stuff like this, and I wanted this dinner to be easy and fun without too much fuss or expense. Or, put another way, mood over food.

Food & drink

I made The Kitchn’s baked ziti, which I also made for a cozy winter party last January. It’s easy, inexpensive, delicious, and feeds a lot of people. It’s also so practical. It can be made it advance, so you still have plenty of time to do the dishes and clean your kitchen before anyone arrives.

I also made Alison Roman’s labneh dip, which was a hit. I doubled it, and I’m glad I did. I also waited until right before the party to assemble the dip/add the oil (which I’d made in the morning) — I was able to get a nicer presentation that way.

My girlfriend made the apple cider spritzes from my friend Jess’s blog. I always love Jess’s cocktail recipes, and these were no exception. Would recommend/make again!

Everyone’s potluck contributions were great. In terms of recipes, there was a broccoli rubble farro salad (love Smitten Kitchen), a cheesy Hasselback potato gratin (gorgeous and delicious), and leeks in vinaigrette (the unexpected hit of the night).

Decorations

Because I was committed to doing less, I scrapped my initial plan to go to Michaels and/or Party City; the bulk of my energy went to finding a tablecloth online. (Two tablecoths, actually — I decided to set up a folding table my girlfriend bought this summer in my dining room for food and move my actual dining room table into my living room, a setup that worked out very well. In general, I’m a fan of rearranging furniture to make a party work better in a small space.) Because the tables were kind of It, I wanted a really cool and special tablecloth and…turns out, that doesn’t really exist for Thanksgiving!

I ended up going with two gray buffalo check tablecloths ($22.99+ each on Amazon), a dozen mini white pumpkins ($24.89 on Amazon), and two bouquets of flowers from BoHaus. (Tiny bonus tip: go for a floral arrangement with eucalyptus; not only does it look great/dramatic, it smells wonderful.)

Anyway, that turned out to be all I needed! Everything else was just stuff I already owned. One of my favorite things about holidays/hosting is going through the cabinet where I keep all my fancy wares and being surprised/delighted by what’s in there. I’ve acquired a lot of different items (cloth napkins, bottle openers, cheese boards, serving ware) over time, and faithfully sticking to neutrals + metallics for years means I rarely have to worry about the specific items I need matching/working for a given occasion. You really can’t go wrong buying dishes or oven-to-table items in white. (Also, if you stick to white, you can use regular bowls and plates as serving dishes as needed and still have it look cohesive. I also think it’s easier to decorate on a small budget this way.)

If you want something a little more festive, I think tree/branch/wood motifs in white/silver and/or stripes in black/gray/cream/green are the way to go because they work for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

Also! It pays to hoard good finds from the Target dollar section until the moment you need them. I have no idea when exactly I purchased two packs of dessert plates with a copper foil autumn leaf pattern on them—I thiiiink maybe 2017???—but I was very grateful to Past Me when I found them! The fabric pumpkins I mixed in with the new ones fro Amazon also came from Target several years ago.

Things I would do differently next time

• Start at 5 p.m. instead of 4.

• Buy bigger cups. (This was the one downside of not going to Party City.)

• Make the ziti the night before instead of the morning of.

• Move my kitchen trash can into my dining room for convenience.

• Decorate with/incorporate twinkle lights.

• Take more photos. ✨

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Just Good Shit: 11.10.19

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

Hi! Just a short one for you tonight — I was sick with terrible allergies this week, and then was out of town in the Catskills this weekend. Here’s what else I was up to…

Elsewhere

How to Say No During Wedding Season, The New York Times.
My first NYT byline!

Why Being Organized Was The Best Thing I Did For My Life, BuzzFeed Nifty.
(Adaptation of this essay.)

Reading

Managing Your Friendships, With Software, The Atlantic.
I’m all for using apps or spreadsheets to remember your friends’ birthdays and such, but this just seems like software bros discovering emotional labor for the first time and feeling the need to “disrupt” that (for profit!!).

The Death of the Rude Press, The New Republic.

What Happened to Deadspin, According to the People Who Were There, Slate.

Should I Fake My Astrology Sign to Be More Employable?, Out.

Eating

My girlfriend made olive oil roasted chicken with caramelized carrots from NYT Cooking this week, which was delicious. One caveat: the cooking temperature/time listed…didn’t work. (It seems like that was the case for several commenters, too.) We made a second batch the next night and baked everything at 350 for an hour, and then turned it to 400 for another 25 minutes or so, and that was perfect. (I also recommend adding potatoes to the pot!)

Have a great Sunday! 🌲

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Just Good Shit: 11.03.19

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

Hi, pals! Here’s what I was up to this week…

Reading

I Accidentally Uncovered a Nationwide Scam on Airbnb, VICE.

For Many Widows, the Hardest Part Is Mealtime, The New York Times.

‘Being Careful’ Won’t Prevent Revenge Porn, The Cut.

This Is Just What It's Always Going To Be Like Now, Deadspin.

What’s Left of Condé Nast, NY Mag.

Inside R/Relationships, the Unbearably Human Corner of Reddit, The Atlantic.

'Instacouples' Are Big Business For Brands. But Monetizing A Relationship Has Its Challenges, MTV News.

Meet the Instagrammers who try on clothes so you don’t have to, Vox.

After 15 Years, Dream Mall Finally Becomes a Reality, The New York Times.

#1232: Infertility and In-Laws, Captain Awkward.

‘OK Boomer’ Marks the End of Friendly Generational Relations, The New York Times.

I Let Our 2 Million Instagram Followers Decorate My Studio Apartment—And Here’s What Happened, Apartment Therapy.

Here Are the 10 Most Frightening Stories You Will Ever Hear, Jezebel.

10 More Petrifying Tales to Ensure You Never Sleep Again, Jezebel.

The Gloriously Queer Afterlife of Death Becomes Her, Vanity Fair.

This Is How It’s Gonna Work, Deadspin.

Diana Moskovitz’s thread of her best Deadspin articles.

An Unexpected Story of Love at First Sight, A Cup of Jo.

Watching

I saw Parasite last weekend and loved it. I didn’t know anything about it going into it — I had only seen the trailer — and that was perfect. It was so unique and so entertaining; highly, highly recommend. And I watched Death Becomes Her on Halloween and it was exactly what I was looking for in a Halloween movie. Just campy and funny and perfect!

‘Ween

This Marie Kondo family costume is one of the best things I’ve seen in a long time. I also loved the 13 Pitbulls, the Holmeses, the Fleabag dogs, Jurassic Park, and pants.

Have a great Sunday! 🌚

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Just Good Shit: 10.27.19

Image: Kiyana Salkeld/Just Good Shit

Hello from rainy Brooklyn! It’s pouring outside and there’s taco soup on the stove and twinkle lights around the window, so I’m feeling great right now. Here’s what I was up to this week…

On the blog

• The gold hoop earrings I wear every day

Elsewhere

So your kid is a bully. Here’s how to stop it., Vox.

Reading

Underground Lives: The Sunless World of Immigrants in Queens, The New York Times.

Why Black Homeowners in Brooklyn Are Being Victimized by Fraud, The New York Times.

She Was Assaulted During A Massage, And The Spa Blamed Her For It, The Cut.

Alison Roman Is More Than #TheStew, Jezebel.

The best $1.75 I ever spent: Hand sanitizer that allows me to exist in public, Vox.

Prince Harry and Meghan's ITV documentary focuses on rifts with British media and the Cambridges, Lainey Gossip.

I Became Vegan to Hide the Fact That I'm Gay, SELF.

Our Nostalgic, Fancy, and Kinda Polarizing Cranberry Sauce Is Here, Bon Appétit.

The Cranberry Caucus Is Insanely Powerful, Modern Farmer.
This is wild.

How to Tell What Everyone Is Talking About on Social Media, Lifehacker.

Watching

I watched Jawbreaker on Friday night, which I haven’t seen since high school (when I watched it dozens of times), so that was fun. And I’m going to see Parasite tonight with friends.

I also watched a few episodes of Modern Love on Amazon and it…sucked. Every episode is filmed in a way that signals “rom com” but like the plots don’t match that at all. Also, this version of NYC is so sanitized, I felt like I was watching a Hallmark movie. The Tina Fey/John Slattery one is basically gay propaganda because it paints such a bleak picture of heterosexual marriage. They were all just so boring. DNR (do not recommend)!

Listening to

The Nicole Brown Simpson episodes of You’re Wrong About, which are harrowing.

Eating

I got my copy of Nothing Fancy this week, and am loving it so far. (I think it’s going to be better than Dining In.) I made the Labneh Dip with Sizzled Scallions and Chile on Friday night and it was *chef’s kiss*. It tastes like fancy French onion dip. I love labneh so I went out of my way to buy Karoun labneh at Whole Foods, but you can also use sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt.

I also went out for an anniversary dinner (!!) at Five Leaves (the Brussels sprouts are…incredible) and had brunch at Sauvage and drinks at Extra Fancy.

Have a great Sunday! 🎃

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The gold hoop earrings I wear every day

Image: Catbird

I spent a not-insignificant amount of time last fall looking for a new pair of earrings. I wanted wear-them-literally-every-day earrings (you know I’m not one for variety) because the pair I had been wearing for the past six years was feeling a bit tired/dated.

I was strictly looking for studs, but eventually started considering hoops, though I kept balking every time I’d try a pair on — because when you only wear studs, hoops will leave you feeling wildly overdressed. I looked at several different brands, clicked on every Instagram jewelry ad I got (there were many), and checked in with Catbird periodically to see if they had anything that felt right.

After a couple months of this, I was delighted to discover that Catbird was selling whisper thin tiny gold hoops ($88 for the pair). I went to the store to check them out and was thrilled to realize they were exactly what I had been looking for. Most small hoops are very chunky, but these aren’t; they are super subtle, and their texture makes them catch the light and sparkle. So…done! Sold!

While I was there, I started looking at all the other earrings, and lamented the fact that my second piercings had not been operational since...I literally could not recall? (Fun fact: I also used to have my cartilage pierced and my nose pierced!) On a whim, I decided to see if I could put an earring in the second hole, which honestly could have gone very badly, but it...worked????? My holes had not closed after all???? So I now also have a set of teeny diamond studs ($98 each) that I wear in my second piercings.

Image: Catbird

Image: Catbird

I have worn this combination of earrings basically every waking hour ever since, and I like them so much. They work with literally everything. The studs give the hoops a little extra sparkle. The hoops are a bit hard to put on/take off at first, but once you get used to them, they’re fine, and they feel very secure. 

The Catbird hoops turned out to be kind of a gateway drug; I started experimenting with some other hoops in different sizes, so I have some additional recs for you!

• I found a pair of gold hoops on Amazon that come in a bunch of sizes and are great if you prefer thin hoops. I got the 16mm pair ($26) when I decided to dip my toe into the bigger hoops pool, and I like them a lot. The 10mm ones ($20) would probably make for a pretty good Catbird knockoff, though I don’t know that they’ll hold up super well over time...but if you liked that size/general idea, you could always upgrade later.

• I have Mejuri’s Between Hoops ($65), which are very similar to the style from Amazon but are sliiiightly (but noticeably!) thicker, and much higher quality. 

• My gf has Catbird’s and gold Ear Nut earrings ($66 each), which are very pretty and sort of mimic the look of a double piercing.

• I loved these Wolf Circus hoops — again, I’ve come along way with regard to earring size in the past year — but they are no longer available. I was on the lookout for a similar pair for a while, and recently decided to try Mejuri’s Idol Earrings ($69). The Mejuri ones aren’t quite as cool but I like them a lot! I wear them when I want something to make me look more pulled-together/Dressed (most often with this navy turtleneck).

• I don’t own these Mejuri Crescent Midi Hoops ($65) but I like them a lot! ✨

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