HELLO! HI! Let’s talk about what is UP. Below are a handful of my current recommendations, the things I find myself frequently blabbering about in multiple conversations. Books, food, projects, products, articles, whatever’s worth passing along.
recommended:
your very own cold brew coffee pot
Deep summer requires iced everything. Coffee shops are selling diesel-grade cold brew for upwards of $4, and my body is rejecting both the price and the exxxtreme caffeine. That said, I’ll gladly make my own at home on my own terms: mix up a strong-ass concentrate with cheap Folger’s ground and cut it with milk or water and so much ice. I’ve had this lil pot for several years, and it’s one of the most used items in my kitchen every May to September. For less than a week of buying coffee out, it can be yours. Save some money! Change your life! Next issue, we’ll cover homemade milk alternatives (joking. joking?)
recommended:
Mark Bitman’s Summer Salads
Last year I came across this ten year old list of easy salads for summer, and I printed out a copy and stuck it to my fridge (told you I’m often very late to the game). These are all super loose “recipes” that are the perfect speed when you want something fresh and simple. I return over and over to #15, where you sprinkle chopped tomatoes with soy sauce, sesame oil, and basil or cilantro. Ideal for tomato season, so flavorful, so quick. A couple other favs: #40 (cucumbers with ricotta, capers, pepper, and olive oil, am I a chef now?) and #44 (thank you, sweet genius, for pointing out that grilled cheese sandwiches could be croutons)
recommended: a book
Advice for Future Corpses by Sallie Tisdale
Nothing quite like a morbid summer read! My book club picked Advice for Future Corpses for July because we like to Keep It Real. A hospital chaplain from New York Presbyterian joined our conversation, which grounded our evening in ways I’m still thinking about. Written by a palliative nurse, this book was much more practical than expected — an actual guidebook for navigating dying and death. She speaks both to patients and their loved ones, frankly discussing what’s helpful and hurtful at this time (the chapter on communication stuck out as incredibly valuable), and offers a gracious perspective on a topic our culture frequently avoids. Sallie Tisdale is a Buddhist teacher and often writes from her own experiences, but as the subtitle suggests, death and dying is an open conversation for every worldview. It’s given me a lot to think about overall, but I’m particularly curious how everyone would like to be buried. Turn my ashes into a diamond!
recommended:
Ellen Van Dusen in Architectural Digest
I have pulled up Ellen Van Dusen’s house tour MANY many times since she first shared it on Instagram. It’s a joy to see inside anyone’s home, but the reflection of her creative point of view in each aspect of the Brooklyn brownstone she remodeled is something special. The custom stools in the kitchen stack! Her bathroom tile pattern is imbued with sentiment! I want to know how much the cabinets cost, but I’ll suspend reality! I love and admire the ways she carried out her love of color and pattern in such a personal space. Ellen's line, Dusen Dusen, is worth perusing/purchasing, and I will happily speak on behalf of the bath towels (delight + purpose combined!).
recommended:
Bar Pisellino (NYC)
Should you find yourself in NYC in the near future, please let me tell you about this bar in the West Village I am VERY into. Bar Pisellino feels like Wes Anderson yanked a neighborhood bar from Florence (please peep their Instagram for proof). Their sidewalk tables are prime for people watching, you can choose from four different kinds of negronis, or have an espresso while you wistfully recount your semester abroad. Owned by the same masters-of-taste as neighborhood spots Buvette and Via Carrota, Bar Pisellino’s a dream of a place to wait on your table or camp out for the whole evening. Delicious, charming, thank you, chef’s kiss.
recommended:
promoting my own actual self
I’d be remiss if I didn’t use this opportunity (you’re still reading, right Mom?) to let you know about some recent work that’s not yet on my website:
Want to see the lettering I drew for Coor’s Light with Leo Burnett? Hightail on over to their YouTube channel and watch some ads. Or enjoy this hilarious photo of someone’s dad at the grocery store.
And in gift-able/product/book world, The First-Time Mom’s Pregnancy Journal is released and available for purchase! It was a fun project to work on, the client’s cover direction was “sophisticated bird wallpaper,” and I quickly said absolutely. The book is full of extra illustrations and sweet prompts for your favorite pregnant person.
That’s all for now folks, thanks for hangin out!
Holler if you want to chat about the above six topics or additional things you love right now, and follow me on twitter (for jokes) or instagram (for pictures). But only if you wanna.