Good morning. I woke up to a mosquito dancing around my face and the crushing realization that my 9-5 burns me out too much to write anything lengthy or meaningful most weeks. But your girl is chugging the hell along. This Daily Drip is going to have a short component for paid subscribers about something super personal. I don’t write much specifically for paid folks these days because it’s more important that my writing reaches more people, but should you feel compelled to upgrade from free to paid for $5/month or less than $40 for the year, it would mean the world to me. My birthday IS less than a month away, after all…
Anyway, unpaid folks can still read through to the paywall :) a little something for everyone. Happy Friday!
Listening to: This Moby set. I love the horrible, low-fi quality. The acid beats. Moby is an enduring avatar of rave purity. And this is basically a grungier Boiler Room shot on a flip phone. (Side note: it’s so sad that DanceTrippin TV sanitized their name to DanceTelevision. Bring back overt dr*g references.)
Thinking: The Target bag is a unifying cultural symbol. Target’s shift to reusable bags was the world’s smartest marketing decision and also a good bit. It’s a lunch bag at the office. Your gym bag. The pile of folded nonsense you keep in the backseat of your car for grocery hauls. I probably treat the Target bag as a regular tote more often than I should. I’ve needed a good tote for a LONG time but a tote feels like something you don’t buy intentionally. You get it with a subscription, or from an event, or standing in line at your neighborhood coffee shop when you suddenly realize they have cool merch and can swing an extra $15. My favorite tote ever (RIP) was one my bestie Rachel gave me that she got with her Bon Appétit subscription. It read “SALT YOUR PASTA WATER” and I need to find it again. Tell me about your favorite tote!
Recent Purchase: In the spirit of keeping all my accessories girly and obnoxious, this 40 oz. dupe for the Stanley cup in shade “Carnival” is incredible. I only brought it to the office once so far and got a ton of compliments. Also, can we talk about the lifestyle chokehold different *cup* brands have us in? From Hydro Flask to Yeti and now Stanley, your chosen stainless steel chalice says so much about you, for whatever reason. It’s like the tote’s athletic, outdoorsy cousin.
Just Read: 1.) This incredibly heartwarming interview between Lana Del Rey and Madison Beer. Lana apparently ran into the 24-year-old Gen Z muse in a coffee shop and professed her fandom, which leveled Madison into the next dimension, having gotten into music partly by Lana’s influence. It’s just a really wholesome moment of girls being girls.
2.) Lolita. I almost didn’t want to admit that; the subject matter gives it an all-time rap of toxic sludge. But unsub if you will: it is literary genius. Disturbing, maniacal, literary genius. The strongest command of language I’ve ever read.
Scent of the Day: After recently hating a blind buy (that’s code for a fragrance you haven’t smelled or sampled, I’ve learned), I decided I would never make that mistake again. So I bought five 1-oz samples from Scent Decant. It cost me $26 with some little Memorial Day coupon. This first sample I’m testing, the popular Delina by contemporary niche fragrance brand, Parfums de Marly, has already captured my heart. For me, it opens quite green: a slap of vetiver and tart rhubarb. But the dry down. Bless the dry down! It’s creamy and soft, like nothing I’ve ever smelled. I feel like a ballerina with an eating disorder! I NEED the full bottle.
What I Wore: Less about an outfit and more about the jewelry, most of which I made! Each week I get deeper into my passion for beading. I’m having so much fun. I’m even going to make bracelets for my girlfriend’s bachelorette party in Charleston in July.
Trend I’m Trying: Chrome nails (see above). Whenever I cut my nails down short every few months, I like to do cool colors or glitter or something to offset the depression of looking practical. Side note: I’m working on a piece about impractical beauty as we speak, so stay tuned.
Loving: Lifting weights. Do I know what I’m doing? Not exactly. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned through marathon training and studying the habits of successful runners, it’s that the silent key is always strength. A great tool for me has been the “save” function on Instagram. I used to use that exclusively for mood boarding: hot girls in exotic locales, cool sneakers, blurry martini glasses, you know. But now that I’ve created functional boards for things I actually love and do (recipes, workouts, and tattoo inspiration), I’ve been able to approach lifting from a more intentional place, like having a bunch of virtual personal trainers. Last night I graduated from curling 10-lb weights to 15s and I felt like Gym Kardashian. Today, my body feels taut and accomplished (two things I like, never feel).
Excited for: 1.) Speaking of tattoos, Andrew gets his first ever today! Of course, it’s exciting in the “man look sexy” sense, but even more so because he is an artist/creative/generally aesthetic-driven person. His plan is to go the American traditional route in clean black and gray, as he also doesn’t ride trends, which I appreciate. I’m excited for his journey in self-decoration.
2.) Andrew and I booked a few days in Rehoboth Beach, DE for my birthday next month. I’ve been to Italy, Jordan, and UAE within the last eight months and can I just say that I am equally, if not more excited for this? A real beach trip! A do nothing, eat everything, read in the sun, apply aloe in the frigid air conditioned hotel room, BEACH TRIP. I wrote a bit about this here, but it’s worth restating: my summer plans are totally simple. While people scoot around Thailand, I will be sitting on a blanket at a jam band festival with my pregnant girlfriend, or catching fish with my nephews. And this is what my soul craves.
Recent Eats: Last night I made these BBQ chicken bowls and they were so simple and great. I’ll just drop my Instagram story here with the recipe so you can save it to try yourself.