Floaty floral dresses. My daily uniform is obviously shorts and a t-shirt or button-down, as you’ve observed on 20,954 separate occasions, but I’ve been trying to mix it up a bit. Putting on one of these dresses just makes you feel so pretty. The one pictured above (worn for a baby shower brunch several centuries ago, in February) is an old Zara dress I stole from my mama, but I just ordered this on-sale beauty for another option.
Lore Podcast. Ommmg this podcast is so good. Each episode covers a bite-sized bit of global folklore – alien sightings, pukwudgies (! it’s a thing), vampire tales, and so forth – and explores its historical underpinnings. I listen to it on walks with Archie, and because I cannot get enough of it, Archie is a verrrrry tired pup these days. Side benefit: Tired pups eat fewer of their mother’s favorite bras. Not none of her bras, but fewer. Here’s a rundown of fans’ favorite episodes, if you want some really good ones to get started with.
P.S. I need podcast recs! Crime/horror/comedy plz; I need some escapism at the moment and Pod Save America, bless ’em, makes me want to throw my phone in the garbage along with my hopes and dreams for democracy.
Rising Sun Dog Collar. Speaking of Archie: Here he is passed out on top of my garden hose after this evening’s walk. You can’t really see his collar behind all those little crimpies (AW), but it’s a Southwestern style I found on Etsy, and I love it. The colors are just perfect, it’s super-sturdy, and there’s a customizable buckle for the doggie’s name and your phone number.
Brown Butter Scallops. I continue to make the extremely poor life choice of cultivating very expensive tastes in my children, who cite octopus and salmon roe as two of their favorite foods, and now? Scallops. They will eat these things like popcorn, except this popcorn costs a couple bucks apiece. But for a special (or kid-free) night, trust my children and try these.
You just pat the scallops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper, heat a tablespoon of butter in a large pan, and add them to the pan (don’t overcrowd them; cook in batches if you must). Cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side, then add two more tablespoons of butter, flip, and cook another 2-3 minutes, spooning the butter over the top every few seconds. Serve with chopped parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
My Ginormous Hydroflask. I am apparently turning into a walking, talking (albeit ancient) VSCO girl, because fiiiiiiine, I love my Hydroflask. I resisted buying one because hello, expensive – but I’ve tried lots of different drinking vessels over the years, and this is just next-level. I can leave it in my sweltering car overnight, and still find ice in it the next day. Ice!
Holstere Crossbody Phone Case. For quick errands and jaunts around the neighborhood where a purse is unnecessary, this is literally all I take with me. The phone cases are made of surprisingly high-quality leather and customized for each phone version (cutouts to fit the camera lens, volume buttons, and such), and the little pocket built into the back holds a credit card and license. My initial plan was to replace the strap with something a little sturdier, but I discovered this one works great; it’s not nearly as flimsy as I thought it’d be. The overall construction, in fact, is excellent – I take mine everywhere and have beaten it up quite a bit, and it looks just as good as the day it arrived. Best part: The amount of time I spend looking for my phone every day has been dramatically reduced…because oh, there it is! I’m wearing it.
