Just the Good Stuff #2
Hi, hi and hello! Welcome back!
I fell into a big ole I-hole1 this week, but with similar rarity to that of the Haley’s Comet, there was a lot of good stuff in there hence all of the Instagram links. Woo!
Alright, well I don’t want to keep anyone from their respective Thursday afternoons/evenings/Friday mornings so let’s giddy up shall we?
This Week’s Good Stuff
Just as a disclaimer: everything I’m listing is either handmade by small creators, or secondhand/vintage finds.
March is Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day was Monday. *Pause for intro rif to Shania Twain’s, “Man! I Feel Like A Woman"* We love feminism here but if it isn’t intersectional, we don’t want it! I came across this list of books (mid-I-hole) to read by female authors by @soyouwanttotalkabout. I’ve added everything to my list for this year, and can personally vouch for Michelle McNamara’s true crime/autobiographical novel, “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” and its subsequent, outstanding HBO docuseries.
In case all of the mentions of Jell-O on Sunday also weirdly (?) got you in the mood for some, I found this vegan recipe — because unsurprisingly, the ingredients in Jell-O are almost as gross as an actual Jell-O salad. Almost.
These handshake salt and pepper shakers (ah! handshakers!!!!) from Etsy remind me of my sorority’s secret handshake. Am I allowed to say that?
Speaking of kitschy home decor and then shifting gears almost entirely, I fell into a nostalgic design hole this week.
I’m honestly surprised that I didn’t lead with this one but since it seems like the Internet has obsessively been chittering about the Harry & Meghan Oprah interview. And if you haven’t (or don’t want to) I’m not here to force you, just a recommendation. Also, all of the subsequent media coverage could be a JTGS list of its own (see below). And this post is also some additional food for thought.
If you don’t already follow @liana_ava AKA Liana Satenstein AKA The Schmatta Shrink. For all you goys (non-Jews), a “schmatta” is Yiddish for an old or ragged piece of clothing (see also: an insulting descriptor for a person with whom someone is having an affair: "You're nothing; you're just his schmatah!). Anyway, Liana schmatta-shrunk model and influencer Devon Lee Carlson of Wildflower Cases this weekend and there was a lot of Limited Too talk. I’m not kvelling, you are! JK I totally am. Watch it here.
Speaking of kvelling, I lost it over the packaging that came with the order I placed with ByHumankind: all products significantly cut down on single-use plastic waste and are biodegradable. *The climate bitch in me swoons.* If you haven’t shopped with them before — which I hadn’t prior to this — I highly recommend it on packaging quality alone. I ordered the bamboo cotton swabs and mouthwash. I’ve since upgraded to a subscription for both, and consider my interest particularly piqued by their toothpaste.
I might be turning into a parakeet with how many mirrors I own, already have in my house and want to buy. Seriously, I could’ve done an entire roundup dedicated to mirrors — honestly, I still might. In the meantime, here’s one I’ve been ogling for a bit that hits on my aesthetic preferences and my fondness for miniatures.
We know how I love a list and this article by The NYT is the ultimate year-in-review to simultaneously feel inspired and good about doing nothing as told by people who have done a lot of things.
By comic artist Liana Finck Did you really think I’d include just the one mirror? Plus, I think there might be a spirit trapped in there!
I was just talking to a friend about how bad we are about buying pieces that are going out of season but… I really love these knits by Lolocrochete. Also available in human sizes.
This series of Tweets from my favorite virtual therapist @minaa_b about forgiveness.
Are Thirsty Thursday’s still a thing, or did they die on the sticky floor of some college town bar? Either way, I tinkered with a spicy mango margarita recipe featuring @drinksweetreason’s Grapefruit Spritz and it’s pretty, pretty good. (p.s. Leave out the tequila for a virgin bebida!! 🍹🍹🍹 make mango juice ice cubes ahead of time and shop the grapefruit link for a lil discount at checkout)
Should you choose to engage with anything from this week, it *should* be this Gossamer conversation with Sophia Roe. If you haven’t subscribed to their newsletter, I ~highly~ recommend it. Also, if you shop with Gossamer, 5% of their sales are donated to social justice and prison reform.
My favorite mug by Hotel Ceramics is sold out (for now) — it’s a favorite for a reason. But the multi-talented @saralioanag also made this cutie called, the Palm Bowl that’s there for you “from matcha to mise en place.” Either way, these ceramics are *chef’s makeout*.
I had this weird realization that this is my 25th March. Perhaps not a super deep realization, and I don’t have the word count left to expound on this further (maybe on Sunday?) but that’s why the playlist is called, March #25 (also sounds like Mambo #5 in my head, which is fun).
My favorite dog apparel brand, Little Beast Co. just released their spring collection and it’s — wow. Sadly, not (yet?) available in human sizes.
Ok, see you benches in The Bad Place2. Jk, see you Sunday. Or… whichever comes first. Either way, I’ll be seeing you.
Already running out of clever sign-offs so:
😘,
Nicole
Holy shit, you can do footnotes here! Ok so, I-hole: a term coined in Newsletter No.2 that is the Instagram scrolling-equivalent to a K-hole wherein you spend so many hours on Instagram that when you finally look up, you might wonder what year it is. I-hole.
A reference to NBC’s show “The Good Place” which, as a result of this footnote is another recommendation.