Frozen naners and dried flowers
Plus, a book I loved
I am writing this week’s newsletter from Atlanta, where we’re spending a few weeks while our kitchen is remodeled. I was born in North Georgia and have always had a soft spot for this city but it’s just really exploded in recent weeks — thanks both to innovative development projects (like Ponce City Market and the BeltLine, which is just so incredible) and also to the film and television industry.
The state of Georgia offers a tax incentive for studios who film their projects in the state — which is why nearly everything these days is filmed in Atlanta. Alas, despite the success of the tax incentive, there have been recent attempts to do away with it. Those attempts failed, but it certainly raises the question of how other states and cities could thrive were they to make similar efforts.
And speaking of movies with Atlanta ties, we had a fun celeb sighting at the Nike store yesterday — turns out, the actress is in town to film a movie about the Beanie Babies bubble, which I will be the first in line to watch.
Now on to the stuff I’m into this week:
The dessert you’ll feel kind of…good about?: I am a banana freak. I eat a banana almost every single day and will probably die of some rare, banana-induced illness. Sometimes, I freeze bananas, then melt chocolate and drizzle it over top and add chopped nuts and call it a “Snickers.” Other times, I just buy Diana’s. These are so great to have in the freezer when you want something sweet and they happen to be dairy-free and made with dark chocolate (so you can pretend you’re doing something good for yourself). Also: how cute is the name “Banana Baby?” I love asking for one to annoy Tom.
A body wash as chic as it is pretty: I love the look of this Nécessaire body wash (and full disclosure: that’s exactly why I bought it). But it has a lot going for it aside from pure aesthetics. For one thing, it’s hypoallergenic and plant-based, which is a big draw for me (I will get a rash if you look at me the wrong way). But, of course, it’s also pretty! And makes your shower look so much more chic. And, incidentally, makes for a great gift for mom.
A shower head you can sing to: I bought this Kohler shower head so Tom could listen to tunes in the shower. But, honestly, I think the full-coverage spray it provides is the best part. It’s black, so it goes with any metal; it’s portable (so you can take the music on the road); and it’s a decided upgrade to whatever you have going on in your shower currently.
Flowers that won’t die on you (spoiler alert: they’re already dead): I am head-over-heels obsessed with the dried florals at Afloral, a company that specializes in faux and dried florals. I am a fan of the dried variety, as they require literally no maintenance and they add so much to a room. I have the preserved hydrangeas in my living room and they make the space look so much more put-together. Seriously. Add a bunch to a vase, and your home will be instantly cozier. (No water required.)
A book you will devour: I loved John Boyne’s The Heart’s Invisible Furies when I read it at the beginning of the pandemic, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately (maybe because I read it’s being made into a movie by Ridley Scott). It follows the protagonist’s full life, from childhood to adulthood in Ireland. It is wonderful, hilarious and heartfelt. For me, it was like Pachinko, in the sense that it charted history throughout the character’s life, but it only follows one person (also, the main character is very Holden Caulfield, if you loved Catcher in the Rye).
Recommended reading:
• The survival story of one of my all-time favorite places: Barnes and Noble.
• A look at the “splat aesthetic” — a trend that has …. stuck.
• Speaking of home trends ….. the ‘70s are calling (and so is the decade’s beloved hue — brown — which is everywhere in fashion and home design these days).
And I’ll leave you with this…