The March Edit
My office trampoline, a great mystery read, the best roasted chicken, and women being whimsical.
The Monthly Edits are a casual curation of my consumptions from the past few weeks including: books I read, delicious eats, fun finds, and personal meanderings. Buon appetito!
I pulled the rebounder out of the storage closet, gave it a quick wipe down, and set it up in my office. The springs are squeaky and slightly rusted, but I can’t really notice if I turn the music up loud enough. Bouncing in place like a child always seems to put a smile on my face—and is surprisingly tiring. It’s the perfect remedy for shaking off a work day or tackling a mental slump. Apparently it’s also good for lymph flow—which is a bonus for those of us who dislike dry brushing.
Besides the trampoline, March was filled with some lovely social time, walks after dinner (now that the sun is still out), waiting in line for spinach at the farmers market while getting drenched in rain, and a few trips to the dentist. There was good food and good entertainment (all linked below)—a solid start to spring. Let’s start things off with a song I’m loving right now and hopefully you’ll enjoy the rest…
Rhubarb has been on my radar lately. I cooked a rhubarb jam years back but really haven’t worked with this beautiful vegetable enough (yes, technically it is a vegetable within the buckwheat family!). I’ll be scouring the internet for the best recipes but if you have one you love, feel free to send it my way.
This thread on women being whimsical is the most joyous thing I’ve read in a while. Someone asked “what cute habits do other women like to practice?” and the answers include things like: “holding regular office hours at my local coffee shop so friends and family can stop by and chat with me”, “saying ‘my lady’ whenever I walk by a mirror”, “telling my dishes it’s bath time”, “drinking water at night out of a small wooden bowl to feel like I’m being nursed back to health” and “if I want to have negative thoughts about myself, they must have a cockney accent”.
Spring horoscopes for each sign.
These lamps are the most gorgeous creations.
This one is for you Dad.
Stunning flower exhibition at a London gallery.
It’s NEVER too late.
Is there anything dreamier than a house in rural UK?
Or a cosy restaurant in Copenhagen?
Five tips for starting a cut-flower garden.
Three years post launch and Erewhon is still selling 40,000 Hailey Bieber smoothies per month!
If I won the lottery, these patio chairs would be a tell.
Fun finds: this ring, these shorts, cute storage crates, retractable phone chargers, the prettiest band-aids, and this jammy tincture.
March’s Bookshelf:
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston. I started the month with this fast paced mystery thriller and absolutely loved it. After so many literary fiction reads, this was a fun escape—it felt like watching a really good mini-series (which I believe is currently in production). Rather than telling you the story of Evie Porter, I’m going to suggest you go into this blind and let the twisty plot sneak up on you! Honestly, don’t even read the jacket.
Open Throat by Henry Hoke. The narrator of this sharp and original novella is a queer mountain lion who lives under the Hollywood sign—lonely and fascinated by humanity’s foibles (based on a real mountain lion who lived in Griffith Park). I enjoyed the commentary on what it means to be a sentient being in today’s world—the story actually reminded me of the novel Beautyland (which I enjoyed more and would recommend).
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley. Music lovers, this one is for you. A nostalgic read set in the early 2000s about two people who’s love for consuming and creating music finds them stuck between romance and success. I’ll be finishing it up this weekend but have enjoyed how Brickley writes about the challenges of being true to ourselves, finding out what makes us happy, and being heard. Not to mention her knowledge of music (and the fact that she is from British Columbia!).
All’s Well by Mona Awad. I was very excited for my second Awad novel after loving ‘Bunny’ so much last year. Side note, did you hear: Bunny #2 is coming out at the end of September? I cannot wait! Anyway, All’s Well follows Miranda Fitch as she directs a college performance of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well while managing chronic pain and slowly blurring the line between a historical play and her own reality. It’s well written and had great Shakespeare references, but the ending fell flat for me. Which is very sad because the build up was great and I wanted to love it so much more.
The Spring Mood Board
I’ve been loving this quote lately: “If it makes you happy, it’s not a waste of time.” Over the past year I’ve really focused on spending my time in ways that feel enriching. For so long I felt guilty about doing anything that wasn’t “productive”. I’m not exactly sure what shifted, but I feel like I finally have a better relationship to work and output. Scott said he’s noticed that I’ve been softer and more at peace lately. I feel proud of that comment and my new ability to enjoy the things that make me happy—like cutting out photos to make a giant mood board!
This one is the embodiment of spring because… we made it! There is light in the sky after work (hallelujah) and the cherry blossoms are turning the whole town pink. It felt so good to unpin snow covered images and cover my 5ft x 3ft canvas with vibrant photos. I probably say this every season but I really do think this is my favourite one yet.
On screen this month: We went to see Mickey 17 at the theatres. I thought the story was really creative (based on the book Mickey7) and the cast was stellar. I didn’t love the political references and thought the film could have been stronger without—but c'est la vie. Still really enjoyed it! We also watched Running Point and the season finale of Severance (finally some questions were answered!). I’m looking forward to a few movies coming out in April… The Assessment and The Amateur.
The best meal I cooked this month was Alison Roman’s slow roasted oregano chicken with buttered tomatoes (image below). Honestly, this woman never disappoints. I followed the recipe but added the zest from one lemon to the bird, as well as chopped carrots and fennel to the vegetables for extra volume. We ate it on freshly baked bread like a… chicken bruschetta? It was heaven (and so were the leftovers).
I hope you’ve had a joyous March. Thank you so much for reading and as always, I would love to hear from you!
Favourite up-beat song? (I need more trampolining quick hits)
Do you have any cute/whimsical habits?
Ciao ciao,
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I find the Fratellis a fun band to rebound to.
Wake Me Up Before You Go by Wham! is a good upbeat song to jump around to….