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Hello!

Wow. What a week! I don’t like being too negative but here are some things that have happened all within the last 48 hours: I found out I have to get a $3,000 root canal because of a decade-old filling that was done incorrectly. The coronavirus drama has made me go from being stoked about our upcoming West Coast trip to being stoked and terrified. Thankfully, a brand partner cancelled our March 10th trip to Seattle last minute because of virus concerns, so we’ll just be going to Los Angeles to celebrate my birthday, which feels slightly less scary. And, not going to spend much time on it, but you can imagine how I felt watching the South Carolina and Super Tuesday results!

But now for the positives because I’m all about balance: 1.) I had an incredible hot core yoga class last night and my core feels very hot indeed. 2.) Two of our secret projects are looking like, real good. While I’d love to cut the bullshit on the ~secret~ projects we’ve been talking about and just say what they are, I legally can’t, BUT basically there are two huge things potentially happening and both had very positive leaps forward this week and are looking closer to realistic. 3.) And, well, we’re about to go celebrate my birthday in one of our favorite cities with one of my absolute best friends. Stressed, but blessed, and all that.

If you’re also feeling stressed about surprise bills or pandemics or elections, here are some completely unrelated things that may help calm your mind:

1.) I highly recommend making and eating our new Parmesan Horseradish Potatoes because carbs are friends and it’s truly delicious and so easy. Pour yourself a glass of wine and spend some time in the kitchen.

2.) Literally just read a book. I know that’s cliche, but I cannot tell you enough how much reading has been my escape lately. No phone time, no checking comments or messages. Two of my favorite reads I’ve mentioned recently that y’all seem to also love: Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng WHICH I JUST FOUND OUT IS COMING OUT AS A TV SHOW ON HULU STARRING REESE WITHERSPOON AND KERRY WASHINGTON IN TWO WEEKS (??!!?!?). Reader, I am shocked by this information. The trailer looks pretty good, but a lot more… dramatic than the book. I’m in!

Those are my two ideas. Eat and then read. Simple. Now, before we leave tomorrow for Los Angeles, I’ve got normalcy to attend to: what’s for dinner, laundry, walking Fox, etc. You get it.

Also don’t forget there’s currently a CLEARANCE sale (code CLEARANCE) for 40% off our entire shop—totes, sweatshirts, t-shirts, cross-body bags, enamel pins, oh my.

Weekly Reading (And Watching)

First: Speaking of stress relief. I’ve recently been turned on to the Gourmet Makes series, which is a half hour long web show where pastry Chef Claire Saffitz attempts to make obscure foods like Gushers and Jelly Beans from scratch, with no road map. It’s hysterical and also educational and such a pleasant watch. The recent butterfinger episode made my heart warm because I love butterfingers. And I also never really thought about it, but what the hell IS a butterfinger anyway? It’s not like a regular cooking show, it’s a cool cooking show. Pastry Chef Attempts To Make Gourmet Butterfingers (via Bon Appetit)

Second: This article hurt my feelings and made me want to search for a new identity? Will The Millennial Aesthetic Ever End? (via The Cut) “Pink is not the only soft color in the millennial palette. There’s green, often in the form of plant life — it has a wholesome appeal next to the pink — and then an expanding array of colors simultaneously saturated and chalky, muted even when not actually pastel: seafoam, terra-cotta, lavender, and (especially) ocher.”

Then: If you’ve watched Love Is Blind (basically a stupid, remarkably entertaining version of The Bachelor) you’ve likely got thoughts on Jessica AKA Messica. If you want to just sink your teeth into more drama: Love Is Blind Producers vs Jessica (via Buzzfeed)

Also also: I’ve seen it over and over, and Matt and I have even remarked on it. So many modern teen dramedies are set in today’s world, but with remarkably retro 70’s imagery and stylization. Sometimes they will have things like smart phones, but mention of social media won’t ever be a thing. They might vape in their living room that looks like it was the set of That 70’s Show. Like, it’s almost as if they are representing a 70’s utopia that *could have been* — beautiful hip and retro minus racism, mysogyny, and homophobia. It’s so enjoyable. A recent favorite of ours, I Am Not OK With This (Netflix), does this to an extreme, as does Sex Education and Stranger Things. Read more on the weirdness that I’m so happy exists, The Teen Dramas That Reject Modernity (via The Atlantic)

Finally: It’s almost that time. Spring equinox, the beginning of the almost consistently warm weather, it’s all happening! Get your outdoor space (even if it’s just a tiny balcony, like ours) put together. Our Balcony Makeover (via Probably This archives)

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