🎥 ‘Am I Okay?’ on Max: Thirty-something woman in the midst of a crisis of self? Count me in. In this Tig Notaro-directed romantic comedy, Lucy (Dakota Johnson) admits, to herself and her best friend Jane (Sonoya Mizuno), that she has always been attracted to women at the same time she learns that Jane is moving from L.A. to London. As much about friendship as it is self-discovery, this movie is a sweet coming-of-age story.
📚 Sandwich by Catherine Newman: It’s time for my annual escape to a wealthy coastal summer (at least in book form—looking at you, Paper Palace and The Guest). In this latest novel by Catherine Newman, Rocky returns to her family’s home on Cape Cod, sandwiched between her growing kids and aging parents, a place rich with memories and imbued with joyful and complicated family dynamics. Read if you enjoyed Tom Lake!
💿 ‘As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again’ album: Rejoice Shins-listening, Bixby Canyon Bridge-traveling, Andrew Bird-lauding, (500) Days of Summer-watching early aughts hipsters, The Decemberists released their first album in years and it’s a bop that will transport you back to your “O Valencia!” days. Okay, maybe just me… but the building 19-minute final song feels fresh, and may be my favorite track. I’m also loving this recent album from Nigerian artist Tems, which combines dancehall and R&B genres—if you see me traveling today, there’s a 90% chance I’m listening to this!
P.S. It is one week until my debut novel You’re Safe Here comes out! Preorders make a world of difference to the success of a new book—thank you so, so much for your support and I hope to see you next week!
I was still closing on my house when I ordered an enormous marigold couch for it. The piece, and my impulsive purchase of it, was completely out of character for me. Every room of every home I’ve ever lived in has had a dedicated mood board—my Pinterest is littered with curated pops of color and DIYs which, to be fair, resulted in some beautiful spaces (like this and this). Every purchase was calculated and safe, vetted by someone else’s success with it.
When I bought my own house at the end of a life-changing year, I didn’t make a single mood board and instead went entirely on instinct: What do I love? How do I want to feel in my home? I wanted to create a space meaningful and personal to me, and turned the mixed blessing of starting with a blank slate into an opportunity. The couch made my heart sing the moment I saw it, and epitomized the nickname I’d chosen for my home, my “Happy Landing.” It was warm and inviting, and even though the sheer size of it initially surprised me, it’s since become my favorite place to begin and end every day.
As soon as I placed heaved the couch into the corner, I arranged the pieces I already had around it—a beautiful coffee table, a thriving Monstera plant, my family’s piano and an antique chair, and some art and lamps (all of the links are below!)—then slowly added other pieces I fell in love with along the way. I was surprised to find myself drawn to colors that looked nothing like my neutral mood boards—shades of blues and rose and greens that have always been some of my favorites. For the centerpiece, the huge swath of wall above the couch, I commissioned a piece by my friend Brenna Therese. Read on for plenty of “before” and “after” shots, all of the links including the squiggly lamp of my dreams, and a very special project I’ve been working on with Brenna for your own home!
Expand this issue or view it in your browser to read the whole thing—it’s packed with links and photos!
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