August 01, 2019
Notes from Summer: Drafting this on my phone for the first time! I am in Colorado for a wedding and am surrounded by beautiful friends I never get to see.
Notes from Jillian: July has been a super busy (but motivating!) month for me. I just launched a redesign of Give with us, my donation site. I made a lot of solid progress on SNAX, my upcoming zine about snacks. And I’m hosting a lil event at Mejuri in NYC in a few weeks—come hang!
I saw Ocean Vuong speak about this book about a month ago, specifically about the legacy of the American novel and what it means to join that tradition as a queer person of color. It was inspiring & he is the smartest person ever & this book made me cry deeply but is also just so masterfully crafted & honestly all novels should be giant prose poems!
– Summer
A month ago, I didn’t know anything about mechanical keyboards. Then I came across DSA Magic Girl, a group buy for an extremely cute, Sailor Moon-inspired keyset. Those keys aren’t available anymore (mine will ship in a few months!) but I recommend clicking that link if you’re at all interested in getting into mechanical keyboards but have no idea where to start. After a few weeks of a lot of googling, I ended up with this cutie on my desk, and I love it. Big thanks to KBDFans and my boyfriend, Dylan, for teaching me everything I (barely) know.
– Jillian
I’ve made BA’s White Pesto Pasta recipe twice now and I can say that it’s probably one of my favorite things to make! Chopping walnuts is meditative and there is something so wonderfully soothing about watching all of the ingredients emulsify together with the pasta at the end. It’s really, really yummy—make sure you add lemon juice, though, since the recipe doesn’t call for it (just zest). Lemon-y flavors make all food better.
– Summer
Specifically, Van Leeuwen’s strawberry ice cream. As a kid, I never really liked strawberries, and especially not strawberry ice cream—but now I can’t get enough. I buy this by the pint at my local grocery store and it’s my new favorite late-night snack.
– Jillian