Issue #143: Retrograding on a curve
Good morning, shoppers!
If things are feeling kind of weird lately, you’re not alone: We’ve got a double-whammy retrograde on right now, Mercury and Venus, and everyone’s just a little off-balance. You’re not alone! The universe is literally against us! Maybe the time is right for those aliens to introduce themselves, pitch some solutions to this late-summer chaos. The truth has gotta be out there, right?
Anyway.
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Kase & Maggie
At long last, it’s tomato season in New York! Rent a car and head out of the city, pillage the nearest farmer’s market, befriend a green-thumbed colleague, just do whatever it takes to secure a bag of freshly picked, rubescent tomatoes between now and mid-September to remind yourself what tomatoes are supposed to taste like. Slice one down the middle and fry in a buttery skillet á la a full Irish; throw a few slices between two pieces of fresh bread and make your stance in the never-ending tomato sandwich debate known; cut one up at your desk when you’re “supposed to be writing” and go to town with the sea salt. Any way you slice it, it’s just perfection. The folks at Flamingo Estate seem to have captured my excitement with their Roma Heirloom tomato candle, designed to conjure memories of late summer dinner parties in Sicily. You say tomato, I say add to cart. –MC
Even if I didn’t live my life in pursuit of the cringiest dad jokes, I’d have no choice but to say that this little guy thoroughly charms me. It’s customizable and, in my opinion, the perfect gift. Imagine receiving this as a remembrance of publishing a book? Or choosing a title you bonded over with a friend or family member? The title of your kid’s favorite book, resting close to your heart? Come ON. I love this. I’m a sucker for all of Catbird’s charms (a tiny planet with a pearl as its core, I ASK YOU), but this one is really something special. —KW
Between an abundance of sun, sweat, salt water and chlorine, my hair is fried. It’s drier than it's ever been and in desperate need of a cut. My next scheduled appointment is still a week or so away, so in the meantime, I’m rehabbing with this deep conditioning intensive strengthening masque from Aveda, which has quieted the crunching sound – or cry for help, depending on who you ask – it once made when pressed between my fingers. Plus, it’s cut my brushing time in half, thanks to fewer tangles, and restored a little bit of shine. Everything shower lovers take note. –MC
Annie, I’m so sorry. I cheated on you. As a longtime mac and cheese enthusiast (the first meal I learned to make on my own, with a scorch mark on my standby pot that reminded me how much water to put on to boil), I’m open to pretty much any kind of mac, high or lowbrow, but my old go-to is my gal Annie. White cheddar, make the whole box directly in one bowl because I know I’m not sharing, lil daub of butter to loosen things up, and a sprinkle of Trader Joe’s shredded unexpected cheddy swirled in for a little bonus cheese action. I’m here to admit that I’ve strayed from Annie, and I didn’t hate it. When I spotted a hatch chile flavor of Goodles at Whole Foods, I wondered whether it could stand up to the unsung hero of the Trader Joe’s freezer aisle, the hatch chile mac and cheese. The verdict: Yes and no. It brings a little kick that good ol’ Annie, sweet, reliable Annie, doesn’t, but isn’t quite as creamy as my sidepiece Joe. Have macced, would mac again. Good game, Goodles. (Naturally, I still made and ate the whole box in one bowl, self-identifying as a family of four.) —KW
Call it my own personal summer reading challenge but I have been on a non-fiction tear as of late, reading the true stories of anything I can get my hands on. I devoured Glossy (the expertly reported story of Glossier and its creator Emily Weiss, that’s Emily the “Super Intern” for all my fans of The Hills) over the course of mere days, next up was Strip Tees (a memoir I read at lightning speed about working for American Apparel during its heyday in the early aughts), and I even gave Relentless (how you can tell I’ve started running again), a book someone recommended in a recent interview, a go. Now where’s my sticker? –MC
Maui wildfires
The wildfires continue in Maui, with devastating and far-reaching consequences. Hawaii Public Radio put together a well-researched list of ways to help and organizations to donate to, and are also currently leading a fundraising drive for the Maui Strong Fund. Learn more and how to donate at Hawaii Public Radio.