Spicy rosé & scrappy seagulls [Like You Know Whatever]
Hi friends!
Happy first day of Libra season! How are you doing? I’m pretty good. The weather has taken a cooler turn here in Los Angeles, which means it’s in the 70s, but there is definitely the crispness of fall in the air. Of course, it may still get hot again–you can never tell with September and even much of October here–but I’m enjoying the reprieve from the heat, however long it lasts.
Last weekend was my husband and my sixth wedding anniversary, and we took off Friday to spend a full weekend up in Ventura, California, a beach town along the coast we’d never been to before, about an hour and a half drive from our apartment. We had a great time! We met up with a friend of mine who lives out there on Friday night at a tiki bar, and she took us around the downtown area, which was surprisingly bustling! We kicked off Saturday with a gut-busting brunch at a “country cafe” and got to witness some Karens in the wild complaining about where they were seated (because of course they were). Then we went to the Jolly Oyster, a chill outdoor seafood place with beer and wine that is only separated from the ocean by the sand dunes. We split two dozen oysters and some plastic cups of sauvignon blanc and that made me very, VERY happy. I fucking love raw oysters!!!!! Plus, theirs were all ethically sourced and shit. You could even shuck your own (they’d show you how), but we were too afraid of cutting open our hands with the shucking knife (technical term?), so we let them prepare them.
Then we put our feet in the water and walked along the beach to the pier, behind this doodley-looking dog who kept peeing on everything, to our delight. At the pier, we got beers at a brewery overlooking the ocean and rated the seagulls’ skills at finding food. I’ll tell ya, some of the scrappier looking ones were shit at getting the scraps. Then we went back to the Airbnb and had some sparkling rosé in their hot tub, which I thought was too hot to put more than my legs in, but Ross got right in. We had a nice seafood dinner at Lure Fish House, which is also all sustainable and shit (I guess that’s a thing up there? Works for me!), and then we went back to the Airbnb and (re)watched 10 Things I Hate About You. It was apropos, because our first dance song at our wedding was Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You,” inspired by the famous scene when Heath Ledger serenades Julia Stiles with that song.
Then, on Sunday, we quickly packed up and headed back to our apartment, where our cat was very happy to see us, and I took two naps because I barely slept at the Airbnb because their next door neighbor had a dove enclosure and their cooing kept me up. The doves were, at turns, utterly soothing and totally annoying. Anyway, I don’t know if you guys are this way, but once I’m done with a vacation, I’m done, and I just want to get the fuck home as quickly as possible. Like, we totally could’ve made another day of it in Ventura on Sunday, had a lazy brunch, gone back to the beach, walked around town, whatever, but instead we were home before it was even time to check out of the Airbnb. I guess I’m a little like my late Grandma Sophie that way; whenever she decided she was ready to leave a party, that was it–she would sit by the door with her purse in her lap and call out to my mom (her ride), “Kathy, whenever you’re ready.” I like to think I’m a little less passive-aggressive than that, but who can say? I have her genes and half of her nose, after all.
And that was that! The only thing was that we were both totally stumped on what to get each other, or even what to recommend as gift ideas for ourselves, so we both agreed to just get each other cards and say fuck it to gifts, as the whole weekend in Ventura would be our gift to ourselves. The sixth anniversary is traditionally the “iron” anniversary, and usually we like to give each other at least one loosely on-theme gift (for our cotton anniversary, Ross got me the CD of “Cotton-Eyed Joe,” and last year, for “wood,” I got him an Employee of the Month plaque to put in his home office… for our cat). We already own an iron, a waffle iron, a cast iron pan, golf clubs, weights, and a kettlebell. I wasn’t about to buy some stupid shit on Etsy just for the sake of it, and neither was he. But seriously… just cards? A part of me was like, “Oh, God, are we turning into my parents?” Then again, they’re about to go to Italy to celebrate their 50th anniversary (okay, technically, 52nd–they were supposed to go in 2020), so there are worse couples to emulate, I suppose.
Next time I send this newsletter, I will be back in New York City for our friends’ real Manhattan wedding, and I kind of can’t wait. New York in the fall might be my favorite place on Earth. I look forward to wearing jeans and cardigans and closed toed shoes, and obviously, lots of black.
Let’s get into Some Things, shall we?
- Jalapeño rosé. After reading about the TikTok trend of putting slices of jalapeño in your glass of rosé on Bon Appetit, I decided to try it. I filmed myself for an IG story which you can watch here. The verdict? Not bad! The peppers give the rosé some heat and fruitiness, and the overall taste profile is somewhat similar to a spicy marg. I was telling a friend about this and my husband had to pipe in, “Yeah, but after you drank it you said your stomach hurt and you had to lie down,” and okay, that is true, but I’m also in my mid-30s. The girlies on TikTok doing this probably have much more youthful digestive systems. So, be warned.
- House of the Dragon (HBO). This prequel series to Game of Thrones is one of those shows that people love to hate on, which I suppose makes sense, given how poorly Game of Thrones ended and how low expectations were for it. But I actually am really enjoying it! The show takes place 172 years before the events of the original Game of Thrones series, and when I first heard that, I was kind of bummed. I was hoping we would get a prequel that got into the Mad King Aerys’s reign and Robert’s Rebellion and other such events that we heard so fucking much about. But I guess they wanted to tell a story where we didn’t already know everything that was going to happen.
The main conflict in this new series is that the king has declared his daughter as his heir and the next in the line of succession–a woman?! Can you imagine? He also has a brother who’s chaotic evil and constantly fucking things up for him (Matt Smith, A/K/A Dr. Who). And yes, there are lots of dragons. One thing that’s not my favorite about the show is that so far, it only really follows the Targaryens. While there’s plenty of drama there, I liked getting to know different houses on the original GOT. Like, what about the Crabfeeder? That dude looked cool as hell, and we barely got to learn anything about him. (Did he have grayscale? Why make that choice if it’s not going to come up?) I also don’t care for the intro sequence, which reuses the original Game of Thrones theme song over an animation that is much less dynamic than the original. Those are pretty minor quibbles, though, and overall, I’ve been looking forward to it weekly.
- Identity Theft of a Cheerleader (Lifetime Movie Club). When we got back from Ventura that Sunday, I was deep in the chill zone, and found myself craving a Lifetime movie for the first time in many months. Thank goodness I’m terrible about canceling subscriptions and I was still an active member of the Lifetime Movie Club! That’s where I found Identity Theft of a Cheerleader, which, amazingly, is about a 30 year-old woman who steals a teenage girl’s identity in order to re-do high school as a popular cheerleader instead of a loser this time. It’s like a dark version of Never Been Kissed! How does she hide the fact that she’s 30 years old? She gets bangs. Literally, that’s it. There’s lots of scheming and backstabbing and even murder. She also hooks up with the high school quarterback, who the movie goes out of its way to point out is 18. So, not illegal, but definitely still reeeeally icky. And it’s all wrapped up within an hour and a half! God, don’t you love Lifetime movies?
- Glow Up (Netflix). This British make-up reality competition show is somehow in its fourth season already! I have to tell you, this show cracks me the fuck up, and for me, it comes down to the casting. Most of the contestants are not professional make-up artists, they’re mostly young adults who have fun creating cool make-up looks for Instagram in their bedrooms. Some of them have only been doing make-up for a year or even less! So imagine the results when this show throws them into the deep end of make-up artistry, having them put together sci-fi special effects make-up involving heavy prosthetics, or paint entire landscapes on their models’ faces and bodies. It’s WILD. But the more upsetting part, to me, is when they’re challenged to do something simple, like when they’re all doing the same make-up for a fashion show, and fail spectacularly (I’m not saying that I could do that well, but I’d rather take on that challenge over giving someone a new nose). The show also has a judge, Val, who has her own version of the Paul Hollywood handshake, which is her exclaiming, “Ding dong, darling! Ding dong!” It’s a very silly show, and I thoroughly enjoy watching them torture these poor MUAs.
Alright, should we do another celebrity survey? This week’s is Air Mail’s The Perfect Ending survey, which asks the subject to share their key components to a good life. Here we go:
AIRLINE: Any airline that still has monitors in the backs of the seats.
AIRPORT: I’ve had some good layovers at Heathrow. PDX is also very pleasant (gotta love that carpeting!). I like how many local businesses they have represented inside the airport.
ALIBI: These days I am just honest instead of making excuses. “Hey, I’ve been running around all day and don’t feel like leaving my neighborhood tonight.” The real ones get it.
APP: I’ve been into BeReal and TikTok lately. Am I Gen Z? Who can say?
APPLIANCE: I’m pretty obsessed with our fridge. This apartment didn’t come with one so we had to buy one (I know, I know–Los Angeles rentals are weird!). It’s a stainless steel side-by-side model, which I wanted because I freeze a lot of stuff. I love it!
BAG: I like the Madewell Transport Totes. Most of the time I’m using my purple Fjallraven Kanken backpack, though.
BEDTIME: Ideally: 1:30 AM. In reality: 9:45 PM.
BIRTHDAY: I celebrated my 21st birthday while I was studying abroad in Prague, so that was pretty fabulous. I had already been drinking legally for weeks since the drinking age was 18 there, but it was still fun. I don’t remember much about it except that absinthe was definitely involved.
BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND: My husband was the best boyfriend I’ve ever had. I mean, he was so good at it, he got promoted and put under contract.
BREAKFAST, WEEKDAY: Cold brew and my meds and either a granola bar or a piece of cheese so that the meds don’t make me nauseous. I’m bad at weekday breakfasts.
BREAKFAST, WEEKEND: A Bloody Mary and a California omelet (bacon, tomato, avocado, cheese) with hash browns and toast.
CAR: I don’t care about cars. Something that doesn’t need a lot of maintenance and that you can easily parallel park is fine.
CHILD: Honestly, if we are talking about “the key components to a good life,” one of the key components to mine is not having children.
COCKTAIL: You absolutely cannot go wrong with a margarita. Cheap, fancy, spicy, classic, frozen. Always delicious.
COCKTAIL APPETIZER: Oysters.
COUPLE: Mel Brooks & Anne Bancroft.
DATE: One drink at a bar before a really good dinner, then a show.
DIET: Eat whatever you want.
DINNER, WEEKDAY: My most fabulous weekday dinners have been when I just eat a salad and make myself a cheese plate.
DINNER, WEEKEND: I love dinner at a restaurant where “everything is meant to be shared.” I like getting to try a lot of different dishes.
DISGUISE: I find the combination of sunglasses + an N-95 to be incredibly effective at hiding your face.
DRESS: I recently purchased a blue sequined jumpsuit as a bridesmaid outfit for my friend’s beach-meets-Studio 54-themed wedding that I’m in love with. I’m slightly ashamed of how much I paid for it, but it is soo comfy and one of the first outfits I genuinely feel awesome about myself in since gaining weight.
DRIVE: Any wine country is beautiful for a long drive. You don’t even have to be drinking, just take in the rolling hills and the orchards.
ENEMY: The best enemy is the random one you decide on while you’re waiting in line at the pharmacy and are bored and just identify one thing about another person in line that you don’t like. Fleeting and essential.
ESCAPE: I like to go out to the desert when I need to escape the city, either Joshua Tree or Palm Springs, depending on how the vibe needs to be rectified. Joshua Tree is for chilling and writing and watching the sunset, Palm Springs is for going vintage shopping and having tiki drinks and hanging out by the pool.
FAMILY: The best family is the one you solidify once you’re old enough to choose your own.
FIRST LADY: Michelle Obama.
FIT: If I’m wearing more than one article of clothing in leopard print, it’s a good day.
FLAW: I don’t think you can ever have eyes that are too big these days. Looking like a damn Bratz doll? Gorge!!!
FOIL: My husband. Where I am flighty he is grounded (we’re an air sign/earth sign match, obviously).
FRIEND: Honestly, I have too many, and it’s the best problem in my life.
GOOD-BYE: I’m a big fan of the French exit or the Irish goodbye, where you sneak out of a party without formally saying goodbye. Sometimes saying goodbye turns into such a production, it feels self-indulgent.
HIDEAWAY: My home office. It is decorated exactly how I wanted, very pink teen girl bedroom vibes.
HOTEL: I like boutique hotels that are kind of hipster-y. My husband and I once stayed at the Ace Hotel in downtown L.A. for a staycation and that was really fun. I’m dying to go to the Trixie Hotel in Palm Springs, but even the weekdays are like $500 a night!
INSULT: “You’re a virgin who can’t drive.”
JACKET: Anything faux fur.
LAST MEAL: Veuve Clicquot, a Caesar salad, lobster mac ‘n cheese, really good bread and butter, and ice cream for dessert.
LUNCH, WEEKDAY: I hate lunch. I usually get the kale Caesar from sweetgreen because I can’t think of anything else.
MOVIE: 8 ½. Life-affirming for any artist.
NAME: Like family, at a certain point in life, you choose your name. I am very happy with my decision to keep mine after marriage.
NEIGHBORS: Living in the same neighborhood as your friends is wonderfully life-enriching.
NONFICTION BOOK: Kurt Cobain’s Journals.
PANTS: I know the skinny jean-ness of it all is going to mark me as tragically uncool, but I love the Uniqlo leggings pants.
PET: I recently accepted that I’m more of a cat person than a dog person, and that’s okay. Cats are so soft, and they don’t have that desperate energy that dogs often have.
PIECE OF ADVICE: My Avo* always used to say, “Everything in moderation.” I always come back to that. (*Portuguese for “grandma.”)
PRESIDENT: FDR. As close to a socialist as we have gotten.
RESTAURANT: My favorite restaurants are places that are very smart but irreverent. My favorite restaurant in L.A. right now is the Hippo, which is in my neighborhood. It has that vibe. They make fresh pasta and I guess are Italian-inspired, but they also have dishes that are influenced by Peruvian and Mexican flavors, so idk, really. All I know is that you can’t order wrong there, everything on their menu is good.
RIDE: I love a good haunted house.
SAYING: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”
SHOES: A stylish pair of flats that you can walk in is the holy grail. But remember: I said STYLISH.
SINGER: Beyoncé.
SPOUSE: I got the best one. Sorry!
STORM: Gotta love a thunderstorm.
STREET: When we first moved to L.A., a friend made us drive down Sunset Boulevard all the way from Brentwood to Echo Park. It’s iconic for a reason.
TELEVISION SERIES: Arrested Development.
THEME SONG TO YOUR LIFE: “Deceptacon” by Le Tigre.
TIME OF DAY: 4:30 PM. I like transitional times, when the night is still full of possibility.
TOAST: “Here’s to those who wish us well, and those who don’t can go to hell.”
VACATION: In 2018, my husband and I spent two weeks in four different cities in France and Italy (Paris, Nice, Florence, and Venice). That was a bucket list trip for sure. In general, I like vacations in large cities where there’s good food and lots of cultural things to do.
VICTIM: The Black Dahlia.
VIEW: Any view from a boat is spectacular.
WAKE-UP TIME: Weekdays: 8 AM. Weekends: 10 AM or as late as my cat will let me sleep.
WORK OF ART: Winged Victory was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
WORK OF FICTION: Impossible to choose one. I’ll go with The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Those scenes in the winter are so beautifully written.
WRITING IMPLEMENT: Pen over pencil, always. I like a Pilot G2 gel pen.
Okay lovers, that’s it from me!
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Until next time—ding dong, you’ve done it, darling!
Love,
Liz
XOXO