Archive for December, 2016

Friday links

• Hey everybody, how have your holidays been? I’m going a little stir crazy, so I thought I’d throw some links up, just for kicks. On a somber note, can we take a moment to say a serious rest in peace to Carrie Fisher, who was—in addition to being such a great talent—so disarmingly open about her struggles with addiction and bipolar disorder. Here are some some of her more inspiring quotes. (The Cut)
• And then her mother dies the next day! Just horrible. Here is a look back at Debbie Reynolds’s best musical moments. (Vulture)
• And then there was George Michael, who as it turns out, was quite a philanthropist.  (Telegraph)
• And as long as we’re on the topic, here are four classic TV show deaths. (Neatorama)
• And here we have the best drone photographs of 2016, some of which are rather intense. (Time)

Things I bought, things I want

Another day, another lipstick: just an excellent pinkish red, and a little less matte than I typically go for.

These grey wool Stan Smiths are pretty fantastic.

This clog sandal is marked down at The Dreslyn, and I’m very intrigued, as I tried them on a few months ago at A Detacher and almost bought them. Part of me thinks they bring to mind my brother’s assertion that my taste in shoes is “tricky,” but part of me doesn’t care.

Also on sale and capturing my imagination: this beyond-adorable cape.

 

Top 5 of the week

I bring you cute printed tops under $100, starting with this fun dotty number, which I think works because the dots are all irregular in size, which keeps things interesting.

From J. Crew: a quite universally flattering neckline, with a very winning Liberty print.

I love this for its stomach-junk-concealing silhouette.

This plaid feels just a little bit blurry, which is cool.

I typically don’t like such a high neck, but this is sweet.

Friday links

• Ten classic Christmas sitcom episodes for your streaming pleasure. (Vulture)
• You’re less likely to die if your doctor is female, says a new study. (The Science of Us)
• Relatedly: here is the fascinating story of the first female surgeon in Britain, who spent 56 years disguised as a man. (Atlas Obscura)
• Just a bunch of really sad books. (R29)
• And finally: RIP Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani. I didn’t always agree with her choices, but I admired her fearlessness.  (The Cut)

 

A few (very) random things that made my life better in 2016

OK people, I’m taking off for the holidays. I’ll just be hanging out at home with the pooches, seeing friends, doing the usual cliched Jewish Christmas in Chinatown, that sort of thing. I’ll be back on the January 3rd, though I might check in between now and then once or twice just for kicks. Meanwhile, here’s a short rundown of stuff that has improved my life this year in ways both large and small, starting with this Davines deep conditioner, formulated especially for frizzbo hair like mine. It is not meant to be used every time you shampoo, so you’ve got to be strategic about employing it when you want to look really, really good. Seriously, it makes my hair look so silky and un-frizzy and manageable that I have a hard time believing it is coming out of my actual head.

Of all my striped shirts—and I own a few—I reach for my Sailor tee from The Great the most. It’s got a fantastic, almost swingy, silhouette, and is black and white, and you know I appreciate a good black and white stripe.

I live literally across the street from where Manhattan’s Chinatown starts, which means I have access to all of the exotic-looking produce they sell there, including Dragonfruit, which I love. It’s very mild, like a melon crossed with a kiwi sort of, and refreshing. And pretty! I always feel like it’s a tiny special occasion when I have one.

My friend Will popped back into my life this summer after a decades-long absence—we just drifted apart the way people sometimes do—and it is like he never was away.  He’s been the best, most supportive, presence—it is mostly due to him that I started getting serious about writing again. And I can tell him anything and he never judges, and doesn’t he look snappy in this picture?

Every morning unless the weather is a fright, the dogs and I end up at the Tompkins Square Park dog run. And the time I spend there comes as close to being a meditative experience as I have all day. I just focus on all the dogs and put other thoughts out of my mind, and for a little while, everything is just fine.

My McQuan rainbow rock makes me happy every time I look at it.

As does whatever my red lip of the moment is, and at the moment it is this (the exact hue is Bauhau5).

My neighborhood outpost of Xi’an Famous Foods is tiny. All they’ve got is a few stools for seating and if they’re taken you’re out of luck, but I live for their Spicy and Sour Lamb Dumplings.

And then we have this little miracle, baby Gino. My dear, dear friend Andrea up and proved this year that it’s never too late to make a dream come true when she brought this little chunk of love into the world.

And finally, I just have to say that once again, all of you have been a huge part of what has gone right for me in 2016. You got me through the aftermath of the hideous election, and I know that together we will survive whatever comes next. As I always say, if you are the type of person who loves this time of year: go forth and enjoy. If, like me, it’s not your all-time fave, take comfort in knowing it’ll all be over soon. See you back here in January.

 

Thursday links

• These posters from the 1968 Paris protests are pretty fantastic. (Dangerous Minds)
• The Times always does such a good job with “The Lives They Lived,” their compendium of articles on notable deaths of the year. (NY Times)
• This look back at the 1990 Sears holiday catalogue is kind of a kick. (Mental Floss)
• Wes Anderson—who I can take or leave—is making a new movie about dogs, so of course I’m in. (Flavorwire)
• An interactive map of the 58 most exciting archaeological finds of the year. (Atlas Obscura)