Month: September 2014

Lazy Sunday Links

by Lindsey and Kelsey

We’re in the Windy City for a long weekend of friend time, sightseeing and, mainly, eating, but we did not forget you, our lovely lazies. This week, we’re sharing a bunch of random favorite things of late. Enjoy these bits and bobs, and we’ll be back with some Chicago goodness for you soon!

S’well water bottles: We’ve both purchased these beautiful bottles recently (thanks for the “hey – these exist” alert, Design*Sponge). We’re both slightly hypochondriacs, so the whole even-BPA-free-plastic-bottles-may-be-killing-you-slowly-thing prompted us to look for some metal containers we love (that we’ll probably learn will also kill us next month). Anyway, these are gorgeous and functional and safe (for now). Just don’t put the lid down on a table where your cat might find it, because it’s gone.

Banjolele: I enjoy picking/strumming on my beloved guitar (Thanks Youtube for Iron & Wine guitar tutorials and and video games for accumulated muscle memory dexterity!). I’ve been toying with the idea of learning to play the ukulele (probably because of The Descendants), but I still haven’t given up on the idea of learning to play the banjo, either. And the world ushered forth the Banjolele — my choice: Firefly Banjo Ukulele. See one in action in this wicked cover.

Girl power books: Not that we were ever against girl power books, but they’re really on our respective radars right now. I (Lindsey) talked about Bad Feminist here, and I’ve also recently acquired #GIRLBOSS and Women in Clothes (post about this one coming soon). With high school students these days making video games to talk about menstruation, I feel like I have some catching up to do on my feminism, you know?

Side note (still Lindsey): If you look at my Amazon “recommended for you” list, you’ll see books about female empowerment (especially in business), books about true crime and matcha tea. This is who I am.

Side side note (now Kelsey): if you look at my Amazon “recommended for you” list, you’ll find 87 eyeglasses cases because I lost just the lid to mine this week and spent an hour searching for the finest glasses case in existence. This is who I am.

Imaginary moving: Imaginary moving is my favorite, second only (I imagine) to real moving. Approximately 80% of my limited brain capacity is spent on fantastical scenarios where Lindsey and I move to a wonderful new city and live on either side of a duplex, fostering a cookie company by day and enjoying take-out and Netflix bingeing by night. This is a misanthrope’s (speaking for me) fantasy.

Binge-worthy: British Mysteries

by Lindsey

This week, the whole world’s atwitter about Gilmore Girls coming to Netflix in October. I’m looking forward to some quality time in Stars Hollow, too, but there are several weekends to fill between now and and then. Me? I want to fill my Saturday nights with all the British mysteries. Some of these are BBC and some are Netflix originals, but all are full of great accents, dry humor and lots of…murder. [Insert evil laugh here.]

Agatha Christie’s Poirot: For me, this is the gold standard British murder mystery. David Suchet is an adorable penguin of a Poirot whose third person references show just how smart he thinks he is. Then, he’ll solve an unsolvable murder and prove he’s right to think so highly of himself.

So many mysteries, so little time.

Inspector Lewis: I’m a recent fan of this show, which is a continuation of the Inspector Morse series. I really like the dynamic between freshman and senior detective, especially when you get into the personal life of the younger Sergeant Hathaway. These are hearty shows, too, with 90 minutes of exciting twists.

The Fall: This is a great little Netflix Original series starring Gillian Anderson (X-Files!) and Jamie Dornan (yes, Mr. Grey). Dornan is a bad, bad man (not a spoiler – you learn that pretty quickly), and you’ll likely feel conflicted about your attraction to him. Join the club. Also, there’s one season so far, and it ends on a cliffhanger. Come on, Netflix!

Luther: Idris Elba is a commanding, conflicted detective, who works a little more on the fringes than those listed above. He’s more volatile than Poirot, for sure. I really love this series not only for Elba, but for the fantastic Alice Morgan (played by Ruth Wilson). She’s otherworldly and unsettling and they make a weird, wonderful “team.”

The Bletchley Circle: I love it when ladies join the detective game. This group of women – former code crackers – works outside of the law to solve crimes. For all the male detectives I feature on this list, this series really shows off the intellect of this secret society of friends. #girlpower

Sherlock: You’ve probably already watched this. If you haven’t, there’s probably nothing I can say to convince you to do so.

Others on my to-watch list:

Prime Suspect
Call the Midwife
Happy Valley
Midsomer Murders

That should keep us busy, eh? Pip pip cheerio and happy watching!

Lazy Sunday Links

by Lindsey

My fellow lazy people, today I bring you…games!

Farm Hustle: Long, long before Candy Crush was born, a college student that shall remain nameless played this game to avoid homework. This is a hard core, no saving, no holds barred animal matching game. Get ready. Plus, sooo cute!

Tampon Run: Oh, this baby has gotten a lot of press recently. I love the story behind it, and I love that the creators wanted to help normalize periods. They really aren’t that scary, dudes. Throw some tampons, and maybe you’ll understand.

What Type Are You?: This isn’t really a game, but you can find out what typeface your personality best fits. It’s also a heck of a lot cooler than any similar quiz you’ll take on BuzzFeed.

All for now. Play on, playa.

Thoughts on Growing Up

by Kelsey

Growing up is hard, y’know? Here are some notes/thoughts on it:

The majority of my pictures now have frames around them.
Early is not 8 AM. Early is 4:00-5:00 AM. I am now a morning person. Not an early riser? Judgment.
At some point, you will need to stop eating trash and fill your body with things it needs. They will become things you want.
That said, no amount of healthy eating will prevent sickness or death. Indulgences are okay.
You will never leave Target without spending at least $50. Ever.
Children hate naps but need them. College students love naps and need them. Adults may or may not need naps, but they want them. But naps give adults “nap hangovers” — pounding headache, sensitivity to movement, nausea. Day sleep = no night sleep. You are not a cat.
The majority of your adult morning will be spent procuring caffeine (or talking about that pursuit with your co-workers).
Also, break room coffee isn’t coffee. Don’t trust anyone who says otherwise.
Leisurely mornings are the best things in the world. The. Best.
Making my bed is not optional.
Friendships will never be as effortless as they were before.
Everyone is biologically predetermined to “like” water. It keeps you alive. Drink it, you’ll feel better. (And don’t contaminate it with those BS flavor packs).
Cleanliness is a form of self-care (may have stolen this one from The Killing).
Skincare regimes are now a thing.
The first ten years after college will be the hardest years of your life.
Walk in the door -> Sweatpants.

Good luck out there, Everyone.

Fall Vibes

by Lindsey

Fall is less than a month away. Living in Tennessee means the cool weather hasn’t yet arrived, but I know it’s coming. I see you, crispy leaves. Come at me.

I know most girls (and boys) get excited about a change in the seasons, so consider this my homage. Behold: The things I love about fall, and the things I want to do/accomplish during this marvelous time of year.

Loves

Fall Dressing: One word: cozy. Tights and boots and sweaters and jackets and scarves and every other cuddly piece of clothing I own will be put to great use. I’m one of those people who sleeps best cocooned under the weight of five blankets pulled to my chin, so I feel very comfortable dressing for chilly weather. Plus, I feel like I dress better in the fall. Layering is my game, and it’s a hard game to win in the hotter months. When the cool breezes start blowing, no one will judge my choice to wear a denim jacket. (I do wear denim in summer. It’s called personal style, dad.)

Return to Academia: I miss school. I really do. Fall reminds me of the time in my life where my ultimate goal was to learn. (It still is, but less formally so.) I think that’s why college Homecomings often happen in the fall. It’s nostalgia on steroids. New school supplies are a thing of beauty, too, yeah? To quote my favorite Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movie:

“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.”

If a man ever sent me a bouquet of pencils, I’d probably swoon and lose an eye. Take note, gentlemen.

Halloween 2013. With hat, witch. Without hat, Stevie Nicks. Good either way.

Holidays Ahoy: The best holidays take place in fall/winter. Halloween has candy and frights. The Halloween episodes of television shows are just the BEST. Everyone is listening to spooky podcasts and reading scary books, too, right? Just me? Then, Thanksgiving has family and warm fuzzies. My mom makes the best dressing (or stuffing baked outside of the turkey for those readers not living in the South). Finally, we head into Christmas with all the festivities that entails. Woot!

Goals

Makeup Shake-up: Honestly, I don’t wear much makeup, and I’ve been wearing less and less of late. Really, If I have a lipgloss or balm, I’m good to go. I’ve come a long way from my middle school days of purple lipstick and hot pink blush. However, I want to start taking better care of my skin this fall. I’m currently eyeing this combo SPF cream. Also, I’ve always wanted to be one of girls that can wear red lipstick during the day without anyone blinking an eye. So, you know what? I’m going to be that girl. I’ve purchased Fire Down Below from NARS, a deep blood red. Basically, I’m majorly inspired by Jamie Beck’s no-fuss, classic look. (She even has me considering oxfords. No small feat.)

Copy Starbucks: You thought I was going to talk about pumpkin spice lattes, didn’t you? Well, you’d be wrong. I spend waaay too much money on Starbucks’ matcha green tea lattes. I’m addicted. This fall, I intend to learn a copycat recipe. Buying matcha is expensive, but there must be a way!

Plan Better: I’ll make this short and sweet. I haven’t been using my planner and I should. Lame, right? Well, I need to better track my time. Also, I’m a homebody, and I’m perfectly okay with that. However, with all the fun fall things? I need to plan to get out of the house.

Fall, y’all! What are your plans?

Lazy Sunday Links: Amazon Prime/Netflix Sept. Streaming

by Kelsey

With pumpkin season upon us once again, the days are growing shorter and darker, which means that lazy show bingeing is now more socially acceptable (for those socially conscience among us). Not that I’ve ever let this stop me. Peer pressure is for the weak, my friends.

That said, to aid in your antisocial activities:

Paste’s list of Netflix’s new releases

IGN‘s list of Amazon Prime Streaming’s new releases

Huffington Post‘s canon of fall 2014 TV premieres

I have a feeling that this is going to be a great season.

The laziest of Sundays to you, readers.

WWU: Are You Afraid of the Dark – “The Tale of the Quiet Librarian”

by Lindsey (and Kelsey in video form)

We’ve finally made it, everyone. It’s Friday, and we’re all a little better for it. Whew.

To cap off this busy week, we’re giving you permission (or whatever) to watch another episode of old favorite with us: Are You Afraid of the Dark? Sometimes. Anyway, due to the popular demand of two readers, we’ve turned our usual read along format into an audio visual dream come true. Well, it’s a dream come true if you dream of watching us from unflattering angles yap to each other. We’re not judging your dream, so please have mercy on our first attempt at YouTube humor. Enjoy?

Are You Afraid of the Dark? – “The Tale of the Quiet Librarian”

P.S. If you don’t actually watch along, this video is probably a huge waste of your time. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.