Hi from Seattle!
I’m here for my friend Angela’s book launch party. Her new book, "You Should Be Grateful": Stories of Race, Identity, and Transracial Adoption came out last week and so excited to celebrate it! It’s my first time in Seattle…so if you have any favorite vegan or art spots, send me them.
Two others things, before we get to it.
1. I’ll be at Plantasia 2023 in Charleston, SC signing books on Saturday, April 29th! Plantasia is THE most incredible plant / garden / floral market. Every year it brings thousands of seasoned gardeners and newbies to shop and talk plants. It’s also free! Find details here.
2. My pal (and friend of the newsletter), Jessica Jones, just launched the very cool Internet Elder. Her weekly letters are an amazing collection of essays, roundups, and interviews.
I had the opportunity to be one of the interviews. Jessica asked me things like: my advice for making friends in your 30s and 40s, what my first cellphone was, and to have kids or not to have kids? She also had me share some photos from high school and college…like this one (below) from my art school days. Yes, I actually went full Jackie O to class aka this was not a costume. And let my bestie, Bob, put his dirty Vans on my bed to get the perfect shot. Read the full interview and see all the photos here (spot my 1999 celeb crush I’m posing with).
Thanks for being here.
Go get the goodies below!
Love,
Jessica
The Things The Freaked My Week
I’m currently loving…
Cottage Gardening
That photo is my very first (mini) bouquet from my new cottage / cutting garden. Which sounds really fancy, but it’s more that I dug up a big patch of grass on the side of my house and planted a bunch of seeds and plants…and it’s working! My neighbor, Joan, taught me the key to success is making sure the soil is healthy – which for me, meant turning over the soil with a shovel, loading on a hefty layer of mushroom compost, and a slow fertilizer once I planted these girls. Again, it’s working and I can’t believe it!!
Care: The Radical Art Of Taking Time
Brooke McAlary’s new book. I love her writing and how realistic she is about taking time to care for ourselves. A blurb about the book: Now, more than ever, we're burnt out, heartsick, and overwhelmed by a world full of problems that seem too big to fix. The solution doesn't lie in caring less and switching off. Nor does it lie in caring more and throwing ourselves into further burnout. The radical solution is to learn how to care small. Tiny, even. **The book is on backorder on Bookshop.org, so Amazon linked.
For The Love Of Kitchens
I want all of these kitchens. The islands aka kitchen work tables, the light, the styling…the level of detail is so inspiring. There are two seasons on HBOMax (I refuse to drop the HBO and call it MAX, I just can’t yet).
Museums Of Museums / Soft Touch
I’m headed to see this exhibit while I’m in Seattle. Also this IKAT exhibit at Seattle Museum of Art. Does Bosco still live here? Because all I want in life is to see her perform the greatest art.
Marie Oliver Dresses
Last week, I got invited to a really special dinner party hosted by Marie Oliver. When they told me I could pick out a dress for the party, I panicked a little because sometimes my body is hard to shop for. I have hips, thighs, and boobies that are sometimes too big for straight-sized clothes but too small for plus-sized…making it difficult. They assured me they design for curves (and even have an extended size line launching soon). I ended up picking the dress above and I’ve been wearing it non-stop! And now I want the whole line…
Next week! We’ll have a recipe from the new Love and Lemons cookbook and our guest will be my favorite author (I’m keeping that part a surprise).