shoutouts: the good stuff
a public expression of appreciation
spring!!! | rebirth is magical.
idk if y’all have heard of this thing called the sun, but i cannot recommend it enough. vitamin D, straight to the dome, might actually be the best drug on earth. that, and zyrtec.
everything in my neighborhood is in full-technicolor bloom at the moment, and it feels like this is the first spring i’ve ever seen. hot-pink azaleas, chartreuse trees, fire-red tulips - my eyeballs are on fire. (wait…that might be the allergies.)
my husband and i won a plot in our community garden for the 2021 season, and although we just planted things this weekend, it is already bringing me great joy. we are beginners, very much learning as we go - and it’s so fun.
these precious days | this story by Ann Patchett had me quickly enraptured (Tom Hanks!) and left me in tears (soul-friendship!). it is a long read, but oh so worth it.
tencel sheets | we had some pottery barn gift cards left over from when we got married (…4.5 years ago 🙃), so we sprung for bougie bed linens. y’all - tencel sheets are a game changer, except when the moment comes to get out of bed.
scam goddess | i came across this podcast thanks to a NYT review, and i have been forcing it upon my friends ever since. it is “true crime without the murder,” as host Laci Mosley puts it, and it makes me scream with laughter. (i also like to think it’s making me savvy against any would-be scammers.)
other newsletters:
Crème de la Crème, written by Aminatou Sow, renaissance woman (but first/mostly known to me as the co-host of Call Your Girlfriend). There is SO much here: writing, poetry, snack rundowns, fantastic links - truly the best of the best. I get so excited when this appears in my inbox.
Hung Up by Hunter Harris is a true joy! To steal her paraphrasing, “Hung Up is essays, interviews, recommendations, reviews, gossip, line readings, love notes, cool shit.” I could not read this post about her chemical peel experience fast enough. (That’s a compliment from someone who routinely devours things too quickly because she is excited!!!)
covid vaccines | as of today, all Alabamians over the age of 16 are eligible for a covid vaccine. thanks to my employer, i was lucky enough to get vaccinated last month; slowly but surely my friends and loved ones are receiving theirs as well. currently dreaming about the day i can have a bunch of people in my tiny apartment and hug them all for 5 minutes each.
P.S. i am oh so grateful for every person reading this. this irregularly-published, rarely-capitalized newsletter is such a fun outlet for me, and i love having my friends (and some strangers! wow!) along for the ride. y’all are the best!
talk soon -
jess
🧡
yas~! also can this always come on Mondays? such a nice mid-day snack.