Weekend Rabbit Hole #9

What I’m reading, seeing and going down a rabbit hole with lately.

January is never my favorite month, as much as I like the New Year and idea of new beginnings, it’s cold, it gets dark early, there isn’t a lot to do….add living yet once again in the epicenter of our whatever number wave this is of COVID and the only real bright spot is that you don’t feel like you’re missing out on much by hunkering down at home. Here, some very random things that I’m implementing this month or thinking about.

1. I can’t wait to watch Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut with The Lost Daughter now out on Netflix. It looks so good. It’s loosely based on the Elena Ferrante novel of the same name, which seems like something I ought to read post watching.
2. I am in the first week of trying a Dry(ish) January, which means no drinking, though I’m giving in to one drink each Saturday. I may even cut that one out. I just ordered a bottle of Ghia, which is a non-alcholic aperitif you mix with various things for what I am hoping will be some sophisticated mocktails. The site has lots of recipes which I’m going to test.
3. Speaking of watching….I am finally getting through the French series Call My Agent which so many of you praised when I posted a bit on the actress Camille Cottin. I am thoroughly enjoying it. Plus, being me, I’m somewhat obsessed with just how chic and sexy the actresses are. Such good skin, such simple clothes–jeans, blazers, button-downs and heels….but even women who I believe to be close to my age in the show are just as sexy as their younger counterparts. The tousled hair, the barely-there makeup. I do not adhere to the idea that French women are more chic than their American counterparts, but this show makes me think sometimes we are a bit too glossy and polished. All of this led me to revisit the funny book How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are by Caroline de Maigret, Anne Berest and Audrey Diwan. If you haven’t read it, it’s very tongue-in-cheek and thoroughly entertaining (top right image is from the book).
4. Next up on my reading list is Open Water a first novel by Caleb Azumah Nelson about two young artists living in London. I still have to finish Jonathan Franzen’s Crossroads, but my pace is finally picking up because frankly the story is getting better. It is my second 600+ page book in a row, I need more cadence to my reading.
5. If you have a lot of time on your hands, you know, sitting around waiting for this wave to be over, I highly recommend watching The Beatles documentary, Get Back on Disney Plus. My daughter and I watched it over a week–it’s epically long, eight hours, but we both found it pretty engrossing. And the clothes–so, so, so good. And no Yoko didn’t break up them up. In fact, they all look like they were having a pretty great time (not at the beginning but once they got in their groove). Their songs will get stuck in your head.
6. Cold weather means a switch up in my beauty routine and adding Vintner’s Daughter Botanical Serum and Active Treatment Essence back in. I swear by Vintner’s products, but since my skin is somewhat oily, I don’t find I need them as much in the summer. In the winter and spring I use them daily. If you haven’t read my interviews with the founder April Gargiulo, you can here and here (plus a podcast). The other addition I promise to try to incorporate is some post-workout pre-shower dry brushing followed by some serious moisturizing. Cayli Cavaco Reck of Knockout Beauty has an easy-to-follow How To I posted before. I need to reread it, get a new brush like this Dr. Babara Sturm one and start brushing!