The February Edit
The best homemade popcorn recipe, peculiar post boxes, David Bowie's bookshelf, and a candlelit string quartet.
The Monthly Edits are a casual curation of my consumptions from the past few weeks: eats, reads, finds, sights, and experiences. Buon appetito!
With our recent move, we now have space for weekend guests and games nights—something I’ve wanted to offer for years. I played host a lot this month, which felt nourishing and exciting. There were bottomless bowls of homemade popcorn (recipe below), white tablecloth dinner settings, and fresh tulips cheering up the countertops. Long conversations over candlelight and deep belly laughs around the table—the sounds of a happy home.
I’ve been making an effort to be more intentional about uncovering the cloaked realities of social media lately. So with that being said, I will also share the left-out scenes from my romanticized recap above. We still don’t own a couch! Our guests had the choice between kitchen stools or patio chairs as their only seating options (yes i know, very glamorous). No curated linen closet either—sleepovers came with a “bring your own blanket” request hidden on the bottom of the invitations. But even without the proper furnishings, our visits were just as sweet.
Alright, on with the edit…
The mailboxes in our new neighbourhood are placed quite peculiarly (see Exhibit A for reference). I was hesitant to offer my hand written Valentines to this hedge—a seemingly unreliable delivery arrangement. It looked more like a secret portal leading to a backyard labyrinth than a routine stop for postal workers. But I took my chances and thankfully, my heart-shaped letters arrived to their destinations on time.
Scott and I went on a double date with some friends to see a candlelit string quartet perform at St. Ann’s Historic Academy. They covered songs from Bach & The Beatles—it was such a treat! I love live music and have always wanted to make my way into this building. The candlelit atmosphere was very soothing and dreamy on a cool winter’s eve.
I took a short class at Pacific Rim College Online last Saturday. Every once in a while they offer fantastic complimentary classes! I’ve taken Botanical Tonics, Facial Diagnostics According to TCM, Herbal Support for Summer Skin, and several other gems. This recent class was called Nutrition for Hormone Health and covered all four phases of the menstrual cycle. Lots of notes were scribbled down and I finished feeling really satisfied and inspired. I might put an article together on the topic of hormonal nutrition next month—thoughts?
My lovely Aunt offered me this Arc'teryx jacket during our last visit. She said it was sitting at the back of her closet for years and needed a good home. I took no convincing—it fit like a glove and felt super fancy—a total win for me. A couple weeks later, this article caught my eyes. It suggests quiet outdoors will become the new quiet luxury trend for 2024. Also referred to as “trail mix fashion”, its focus is on sporty pieces and functionality. So there you have it, my crunchy West Coast OOTM.
I’ll share a life but not a bed.
This feel-good interview.
What was on David Bowie’s book shelf.
This art forgery game.
This moment in history (via
Why are we buying clothes for lives we don’t have?
The restaurant menu trends that define dining
Spaces: Garden trends for 2024, funky windows, and kitchen goals.
Finds: an olive dish, silk boxers (also love the striped cotton version), this butter yellow scarf, fancy salt, & greek column vases that I cannot stop thinking about.
This month in reading:
Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown. My goodness, this book should be required reading for high school students. It beautifully guides you through “eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human”, leaving you with a new framework for cultivating meaningful connection. Not a quick and easy read, but a fantastic resource to keep on the bookshelf for future reference.
I read through the first draft of a new novel by
. It was an honour to have someone share their work with me! Such wonderful characters and descriptive imagery, I cannot wait till this story is officially published.
This month in watching:
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Amazon Prime). Fresh, catchy, and entertaining. Not to mention the interiors—swoon. A great adaptation of the classic spy-thriller, this time made a little more relatable.
One Day (Netflix). Beautifully filmed, brilliant acting. I don’t know if I recommend it though—it literally destroyed me.
Dune: Part Two. You best believe I pre-purchased my tickets for this weeks ago! Next Saturday I will be cozy in the theatre recliner and fully immersed in the epic world of Arrakis.
We’ve been on a bit of a popcorn kick lately. Scott made all sorts of flavours including: spicy cacao cinnamon, salted caramel, and garlic parmesan. My favourite is most definitely the herbed savoury. It’s the best feel-good popcorn ever! Here’s the super simple recipe:
Avocado Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Nutritional Yeast
Salt + Pepper
Sage/Smoked Paprika/Rosemary
- Heat avocado oil in a big soup pot and add popcorn kernels. Give the pot a good shake to coat the kernels in the oil. Cook on medium until kernels have popped—be cautious not to burn.
- Drizzle the popped kernels with the olive and coconut oil blend—then add spices and flavourings to taste. So easy and deliciously satisfying. Enjoy!
I hope you’ve had a dreamy February. Thank you so much for reading and as always, I would love to hear from you!
What’s your favourite popcorn topping?
Do you enjoy hosting?
Definitely yes to the hormonal nutrition break-down. I start researching myself and get so overwhelmed and confused.
Thank you so much for reading my book and I can't believe you mentioned it here. A pinch-me moment for sure! Can't wait to see you next week!
That popcorn looks and sounds yummy so thanks for sharing! I am glad you're enjoying your new space and neighborhood! This was a fun issue to read with the variety. :)