This past weekend, I did something I almost never do: I cancelled all plans and spent 48 hours by myself, doing whatever I wanted. And unlike the Great Goat Farm Experiment of 2017, it was glorious. Since my boyfriend was on a work trip, I had the apartment to myself. Without plans, I slept in, went on a three-hour walk all over Griffith Park, watched two movies (The Edge of Seventeen and Blue Valentine), cooked up a storm (we will be eating roast vegetables for the next three weeks), and read. Here’s what else I’m up to this week:
From now through January, major L.A. museums and galleries, from the Hammer to East L.A. College, are participating in Pacific Standard Time LA/ LA, a series of exhibits led by the Getty that features Latin American and Latino art in Los Angeles. Of course, this term is incredibly broad—so you can expect to see exhibits that range in form and medium, from photography in Argentina to a moving show by one Mexican-American artist challenging beauty norms and ethnic identity, and, incidentally, a ton of art from DACA recipients (which is all the more powerful considering recent headlines). I’m planning on working my way through the exhibits, starting with the Hammer Museums’s “Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960–1985. For more information, Madeline Brand’s Press Play does a great job of distilling the exhibits at the end of this episode (scroll to play just the clip!).
This weekend, I had the kitchen entirely to myself, which meant cycling through favorites—soft-boiled eggs, avocados with reduced balsamic and butter (there’s no judgement when you eat by yourself), and langoustines cooked with Armagnac, eaten hovering over the kitchen sink. In her cookbook, A Kitchen in France, Mimi Thorisson describes the dish as a “summery comfort dish,” but I think it’s the perfect thing to eat with a glass of red wine (or Armagnac!) during the transitional time between summer and fall, since the Armagnac feels rich and hearty paired with shrimp, which I usually associate with summer grilling. Add some good, crusty French bread (dipped directly into the baking dish) and you have yourself a meal!
At my first job, it was a requirement that all of the editors signed up for the “Quartz Daily Brief” which still arrives in my inbox every morning snuggled between TheSkimm and The New York Times, but is always the email I click into first. I love that it starts with a short essay of “What to Watch for Today,” touches on business, then leads into “Matters of Discussion” and “Surprising Discoveries” for dessert (this is the fun stuff like why “Cars are still designed using clay.”). They recently announced the pre-sale of their book “The Objects that Power the Global Economy” which uses each chapter to “examine an object that is driving radical change in the global economy.” If it’s anything close to as interesting as their newsletters, I have a feeling you’re going to love it (I’ve already ordered mine).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB6Gecy6IP8
This weekend, while hangin’ solo, I did something that felt totally reasonable at the time but feels a little sad to write out: I Googled “Best movies to watch alone.” But hey, whatever works! Turns out, it was the best thing to search because it led me to this amazing website and this fantastic movie: The Edge of Seventeen. The movie, which stars Hailee Steinfeld, made me cringe and laugh-out-loud at the all-too-real depiction of a teenage girl whose brother/parents/BFF are all out to get her.
For the past week, I’ve been listening non-stop to Lauren Ruth Ward after my boyfriend shared a video he took of her performing at SoFar Sounds. Her voice is so rich and beautiful (a perfect example is the chorus of ‘Did I Offend You‘) and she’s an incredibly performer (just watch the video above)! I also love the fact that most of her songs are ballads about being a badass lady, like ‘Make Love to Myself.’
You know how, before moving into a new dorm/home/apartment, you begin to get excited about the little things? Like new pillows! A spice rack! A new shower curtain that will look beautiful! At least that’s what I do… and I can tell you I obsessed over a $200 shower curtain for about a year before not getting it, for obvious reasons (actually, 200 of them). While I can’t find the link to the original beaut that caught my eye (probably for the best), this DIY is almost exactly identical and costs almost nothing. Side note: How cute is that bath “mat”? I’m sure they DIY’d it, but just found a similar version on Amazon for $25! (You win some, you lose some).
