Items of Interest, Vol. 2
On the brain 05.19 - 05.25
In which I promise you a weekly essay and instead deliver a list of concepts, products, and notes.
Without further ado.
The Architecture of the American Public School.
In a world where everything is duuuupe, inspo, or -core, public schools have been catching my eye lately. I’m talking the Hey Arnold P.S. 118 style of school, a classic red-brick with symmetrical wings and multipane windows. They don’t have the ornate Romanesque columns and features of the American college campus, but they still feel like deliberately planned monuments to the importance of learning, as opposed to our contemporary corporate tech campus-inspired school buildings. I don’t know, lately I’ve been feeling deeply appreciative of this style’s practicality, civic-focused Americana (perhaps because I’m desperately longing for an America that values public education and civil discourse.)
As ever, Elise Loehnen’s Pulling the Thread asks the big questions, like what does “sacred” mean to me (as inspired with this chat between Elise and psychotherapist Satya Doyle Byock). Maybe it’s a feeling. Maybe it’s a ritual. I’m not sure yet…but my answer will almost certainly be coming to a Substack near you.
Speaking of sacred…I’m slowly reintroducing Tarot cards into my daily routine. Like horoscopes, I think divination tools are exceptionally helpful for taking stock of what’s going on in your noggin. I like to pull a card each morning, meditate on what I think the meaning might be, and what situations that meaning is bringing up in my mind…maybe it’s a new client I’m excited about working with, maybe a to-do list item I’ve been worrying over. Same process for when I look up the meaning of The Moon or 4 of Pentacles or whatever it may be — what does it bring to mind?
I like a classic Raider-Waite deck, but I also just picked up this deck of fortune telling playing cards I’m excited to play with.Cool Girl Bedding: retro stripes, gingham, bold color pairings. I have exactly 1x “cool girl” bedding set I kind of Macgyver-ed from Amazon. I essentially live in these sheets. It’s kind of icky. (But I’m really holding out for a Brooklinen brand deal).
5. Brown / Blue. Inspired by the DONNI Linen Stripe Crop Pant in espresso, I am having dreams of this specific pant with an oversized, baby blue linen shirt for summer. And it’s just snowballed from there. Isn’t this palette just the best? It’s light but still sophisticated.
Drop waist dresses. This Uniqlo number is my favorite skirt for summer, and I think it’s the silhouette. The drop waist on the paneling isn’t extreme, it hangs just slightly below my hips, and I love love love love love it. I’ve been desperately searching for more pieces that have this exact same waist (and before you even ask NO I am not interested in a Basque waist) so if you have any recommendations…you know what to do with them.
Rayne Fisher-Quann’s request for regional IT GIRLS. Such a fun chat thread to look through.
This IKEA IVAR cabinet hack. NO NOTES JUST CHIC.
I note the date on this journal entry is a week back.
Plus, if you enjoyed this, maybe you’d like to…
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