Hi everyone, happy Wednesday! And happy 2023!! š„āØ
As I stated last year, Iām not really a resolutions gal ā I feel like the expectation of big, sweeping overnight changes places undue pressure and ultimately ends up as a shortcut to disappointment. Instead, I make note of a few things Iād like to try, then take a āif it happens, it happensā stance. Case in point: I did not pick up stained glass making or ice skating. I did do more baking and attempted several new recipes that turned out surprisingly well, which, look at that! Props to me! Here are a few more things Iād like to make happen this year. If it works out, wonderful; if not, well, thereās always next year!Ā
Pearl Jam
LARGE NATURAL WHITE BIWA PEARL STRAND - STONES DIRECT ($46)
I was obsessed with Mudd Pearlās edgy, punk creations, featuring necklaces and bracelets made from pearls in all sorts of peculiar shapes ā¦ until I saw Etsy sellers listing wholesale bundles of chicken feet pearls for, like, less than $50. Now Iām kinda side-eying their hefty prices š. Of course youāve got to factor in time and labor costs, and I canāt fault a small brand for trying to make a profit, but I wonder how hard it would be to gather some clasps and wire and string together a few strands myself. Probably harder than I think, but I wonāt know unless I try!
Deep Read
LIBRARY CARD - BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY (FREE)
Everyone wants to read more books, and I do too, but specifically I want to read more classic literature and fewer buzzy debuts written by millennial Brooklynite MFA candidates. (Not to say that theyāre bad, necessarily, Iām just not sure how many of them will stand the test of time the way Anna Karenina has.) Though I hope to one day become a person who owns a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, that day is likely a long ways off, so in the meantime I plan to make very good use of the Brooklyn Public Library ā anyone who isnāt yet a card-carrying member of their local library, I implore you to become one, stat.Ā
Garden State of Mind
DELUXE COACH HOUSE AT BRETFORTON MANOR - AIRBNB ($123/NIGHT)
In third grade, I picked up Jeanne Birdsallās The Penderwicks at the recommendation of my teacher. Itās a story about four sisters who spend an August exploring the grounds of a sweeping estate in the Berkshires called Arundel; they go racing through wildflower meadows, traipsing through begonia beds, and leaping into frog-filled lilyponds, and eight-year-old me was swept away by the magical summertime setting. Ever since, Iāve dreamt of vacationing in a cottage nestled on some enormous property outfitted with a garden at the height of its splendor. This Airbnb listing in the English countryside, with its pebbled walkways and tidy hedgerows and fun water features, comes the closest to how Iāve imagined Arundel in my head.Ā
Tried one of my recs and loved it (or hated it)? Wanna get something cool on my radar? Drop me a line atĀ kittylguo@gmail.comĀ or swing by my TwitterĀ @kitguo!
Iāve had a library card since preschool. I love the library so much!