Movies & Television

TV is so back! I can’t say the same for movies this month, though I found Primetime to be a really interesting thought experiment/reflection on early 2000s reality TV culture. What at time to be young and impressionable. Can I just say simply: Robert Pattinson! He’s on an Oscar run for sure.

Anyway, television: I do the dance of subscribing and unsubscribing to streamers based on when there’s something I want to watch. This month it’s the new adaptation of East of Eden (and The Great British Baking Show) on Netflix. Florence Pugh is a force, she always is. The cinematography is stunning. Watch it!

Books, etc.

Last month I recommended Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett only 100 pages in, and for the record now that I’ve finished it: the recommendation stands. Fantastic. My Kindle book (meaning the book I read when I’m at the nail salon or traveling) is All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. So far so good…

But this month’s recommendation is this little novel: The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout. Short, sweet, sad, but in a way that feels like a hug (to me). This book said to me: I see you, I see your complicated and layered life, and I’m letting you know you’re not alone in the mess by way of this school teacher’s little late-in-life story. Everyone has their challenges and misfortunes, and despite all of it: there are many moments and mindset changes that can make life worth living. Trigger warnings: The depressing reality of living under the Tr*mp regime, and suicidal ideation.

P.S. I’m archiving all the books I’ve enjoyed recently here, and I’m also on Goodreads, though doing a horrible job keeping up with it… Oops!

Podcasts & Music

This is not a new-to-me podcast, I’ve been a fan of The Big Picture for many years, and I talk about it quite a bit with friends… Possibly too much. I have to spread the good news to anyone remotely interested in the industry or the art form, because these two are hilarious and whip smart. Hosted by Ringer (and Substack) journalists Amanda Dobbins and Sean Fennessey, the show covers anything happening in the film biz, delivers conversational movie reviews, interviews with directors, actors, producers, and much more (movie drafts, anyone?) Amanda is the more grounded POV, while Sean is a true cinema geek, and their brother/sister dynamic is frequently accented by appearances from other Ringer personalities (Van Lathan, Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, Joanna Robinson, etc.) to round out the great hang. I hope you enjoy.

As for music, if you want just a very moody indie mix to put on, I do keep my Fall Mastermix fairly updated. I dusted it off again just this week, adding the likes of Alanis Morrisette’s new cover of Season of the Witch and a few other newbies.

Food!

I have a friend, who lives in Los Angeles but is from North Carolina, and every so often she will just call me out of the blue when she’s in town to help her family: “I’m coming over tomorrow!” Okay! That means I need a meal prepared, because this woman requires sustenance. A couple weeks ago, this soup was a huge hit, and it’s also great for fall in general: Lemony Chicken Soup with Dill.

My notes: This recipe calls for leaving chunks of lemon in the soup for some reason, which was a no for me and a few other commenters. Instead, I just cut a lemon in half, got the seeds out as best I could, and cooked it in the broth, and fished it out at the end. I added lemon zest as a topper. You can also make the chicken part simpler by picking meat off a rotisserie. Maybe put chicken bouillon in the broth for the extra flavor as a shortcut for taking the time to cooking out chicken fat from bone-in, skin-on pieces. Up to you!

Other recipes I’m enjoying right now:

Roasted Broccoli with Nuts and Dates. It’s such an easy side to add in veggies. I usually just use my air fryer to roast the broccoli quickly.

And specifically for fall: Roasted Honey Nut Squash with Chickpeas and Hot Honey. Any squash will do. Yum.

—

Thank you for being here,

In Case You Missed It…

1. Knives Out (2019)

One of Netflix’s best original films, Knives Out is a whodoneit comedy caper has everything: A recently deceased wealthy mystery writer patriarch, a very Foghorn Leghorn-accented detective (Daniel Craig), and a messy family scrambling to protect their stakes in the estate. Deep in the era of Captain America, it was fun to see Chris Evans playing a smarmy creep… and cause a run on fisherman’s sweaters the likes of which we hadn’t seen since the late ‘90s.

Trigger warning: Lots of barfing.

P.S. There’s more to love: The second film in the franchise left me scratching my head, but the third is quite good!

2. Arsenic and Old Lace (1941)

I post this screen grab every year when I’m rewatching, and no one ever knows where it’s from. Well…

What The Criterion Collection lovingly calls, “one of the finest farces ever filmed,” Frank Capra’s Arsenic and Old Lace is a black comedy starring Cary Grant, straining his hardest to survive and help others survive his insane (murderous) family.

It’s quick, it’s classic, it’s hilarious. And Schitt’s Creek’s David Rose would’ve loved Cary Grant’s facial expressions.

3. Clue (1985)

The best board game film adaptation (are there that many? probably not but still), Clue gathers six blackmailed strangers for an evening of confrontation and desperation in a secluded mansion. As a string of murders unfold over the course of the dark and stormy night, they must interrogate each other and reveal their secrets to find the killer.

The late Tim Curry plays butler Wadsworth, who acts as a kind of sensei for the whole ordeal. RIP, good sir.

4. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

One of director Wes Anderson’s best forays into stop motion animation, Fantastic Mr. Fox is a charming retelling of Roald Dahl’s 1970 novel. With characters voiced by George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson, there’s familiarity and warmth built right in.

The premise: A reformed criminal fox supports a comfortable life for his young family via a secret hobby of thieving, but when he goes a little too far with the local farmers, the chaos unleashed sends waves through the entire animal community.

This film so stinking beautiful, clever, and funny—suitable for older kids and full-grown adults alike. I made my parents watch it for the first time last year and they loved it.

5. Pride & Prejudice (2005)

We are soon to be faced with yet another remake (a mini series on Netflix), but let’s take it back to one of the best and most beautiful Jane Austen film adaptations to date: Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice . I think you all know the story… At least I hope you do: With five daughters nearing adulthood, the boisterous Bennett family is faces financial and societal pressures, learns to navigate social graces or lack thereof, doesn’t quite sidestep the temptations of a f*ck boy, and overcomes undue judgement of a very hot rich man’s resting bitch face and sardonic nature. And boy does Kiera Knightly get her steps in. All leading to: an imperfect but happy ending.

Can we just take a moment to praise the score and the scenery? The whole movie is like a painting.

6. Stepmom (1998)

Stepmom may not be high on many people’s lists, but it’s become a comfort to me. I also think it’s when modern fashion photography and advertising really registered as a career possibility. (Is this where my interest came from? Why I worked at Ralph Lauren? Maybe!)

It’s the story of a type-A mom (Susan Sarandon) navigating shared custody with her husband’s new partner (Julia Roberts), and takes place between New York City and the Hudson Valley during a very busy fall and holiday season. The scenery is lovely throughout (those cars! That house!).

P.S. The John Williams-scored classical soundtrack is so so good. I’ve listened to it when I’m working on a deadline since college. I’m not kidding.

7. Big (1988)

I suppose a little magic is my true Achilles heel for fall storytelling... It gets me every time. In this adventure comedy, young Josh Baskin (David Moscow) makes a wish on a carnival machine to be “big” enough to join his friends on a ride. The next morning, he awakes in his bunk bed as a fully grown adult man (Tom Hanks). Kicked out of the house by a screaming, terrified mother, Josh flees to the city, where he stumbles into a job at toy company (he is a subject matter expert), secures a sick SoHo loft, and a girlfriend (Elizabeth Perkins), before ultimately taking it all back and wishing to be a kid again. But oh, the adventure that is had.

One of my biggest regrets in life to date: I’ve never played chopsticks on a giant piano keyboard. Maybe one day.

8. Hocus Pocus (1993)

How could I resist? While the sequel is offensively bad, this cult classic is an instant comfort. It’s essentially the story of a big brother trying to get a date gone very wrong. After lighting a cursed candle to impress a girl, three evil witch sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) are brought back to life for only one night—unless they can cast a spell to stick around longer. The challenge becomes keeping them separated from their spell book long enough for the sun to rise and send them back to hell.

A very 1990s Disney Halloween classic!

9. Remember the Titans (2000)

And speaking of Disney, you can’t do fall without some football. This is a very tidy Hollywood take on desegregation in the south, but it will get you in the feels nonetheless. Loosely based on a true story, Denzel Washington stars as Herman Boone, the newly appointed coach of a formerly entirely white T. C. Williams High School football team. Tasked with integrating and uniting a mixed band of players, his persistence pays off while their friends, families, and the entire Commonwealth of Virginia seethes around them.

The casting director deserves a lot of credit for early exposure to Ryan Gosling, Donald Faison, and the late Hayden Panettiere, who plays the spitfire, football-obsessed young daughter of the former team coach (Will Patton).

And who doesn’t love boys putting aside their qualms and just dancing? The amount of singing and dancing in this sports movie is sensational, as are needle drops by Creedence Clearwater, The Temptations, Bob Dylan, and more. It’s a soundtrack I come back to often.

10. You’ve Got Mail (1998)

The final boss of fall movie core: You’ve Got Mail follows two people in an AOL-fueled online pen pal relationship, who are blissfully unaware that they are also real life business rivals. An independent bookstore owner, Kathleen (Meg Ryan), thinks she hates Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) and his Big Box bookstore empire, but we all know you can’t fight true love. Or capitalism.

Ah, Nora Ephron, you are so missed. And we thank you for these charming little vignettes of New York as a autumnal wonderland. It certainly can be—with the right attitude.

That’s it! I hope you find something new (to you) to watch, or at least the reminder to revisit an old favorite.. And please share your own picks, I’d love to hear them.

Thank you for being here,

And In Case You Missed It…

Movies & Television

I don’t think you need me to tell you the billion-dollar box office smashes The Odyssey and Spiderman: Brand New Day are good (in my opinion they are, and you should go see them!) I really want to see Tony, the Anthony Bourdain coming-of-age film with rave reviews, but haven’t made it just yet. As for television…

This show! 10/10

An FBI agent/former NYPD cop Alice (Emmy Rossum) tackles the active case of a female serial killer Catherine Grace (Lola Petticrew), who appears to be targeting wealthy men with shady sexual exploitation connections. Created by Executive Producer Rossum and writer Elizabeth Meriwether (New Girl), this is most assuredly a drama, but a smart sense of smart humor is peppered throughout. The acting is spectacular, the characters break every mold, and it’s already been renewed for a second season. The first is just 8 episodes, and it absolutely flies by.

P.S. The Watch podcast interviewed Liz and Emmy (do not listen/watch until after you finish the show though!) and it’s fun to hear about putting the show together. Smart women doing cool things! Always endorse.

Books, etc.

August was a quieter month for me reading-wise. I trudged through (pun intended) Land by Maggie O’Farrell, which is (unsurprisingly) beautifully written, but didn’t stick the landing for me. I also sped through My Sister the Serial Killer, which was a fun novella jaunt by Nigerian-British writer Oyinkan Braithwaite. It could make a very fun 90-minute movie if executed with the correct amount of quirk, dark humor, and respect to the Nigerian setting.

Up next for me is Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett, a girthy novel that I’m 100 pages into and enjoying greatly. Mom already asked me to save it for her. My parents lived briefly in Jackson, Mississippi before I was born, and she likes to revisit the state’s complicated history through literature, probably more as a point of fascination than anything. The South is a tricky place to try to make sense of even to this day...

A native, Stockett has a way of capturing the bizarre confluence of the Southern obsession with “heritage,” perceived manners/niceties, a legacy of human rights atrocities, and a total lack of reckoning with any of it. The resulting sticky mess is modern (or in this case: 1930s) life in the South. It’s really not all that different these days, and I think that’s why she keeps writing these stories. There’s no sense in scrubbing a clean floor, after all. The leading ladies of this tale are fully-formed, spunky avatars for the journey, and I can’t wait to pick it up again tonight.

Podcasts & Music

If you’re not familiar with this band but enjoy upbeat, gently swingy tunes, Jungle is worth adding to the rotation. Their latest album Sunshine is just as joyful as the last. These are perfect all-day tunes for a guaranteed better mood. I’ve included a couple tracks in my Fall 2026 playlist as well.

Food!

If you have plentiful tomatoes to plow through, this salad is fantastic. I used pearl couscous (because that’s what I had in the cabinet) and pulled a rotisserie chicken. Do not finely chop the chicken as directed, however. Bite-sized chunks create a better ratio. Very much: yum.

Thank you for being here,

In Case You Missed It…

Note to Self

Worth Noting Vol. 18

Hi hello, I know it’s still August (barely) but my eyes are creeping towards darker shades and cozy textures. And I shall not apologize…

Read more

a month ago · 8 likes · 2 comments · Note to Self

1. These tee shirts. I have 3 of them: white, navy, navy-and-white stripe, but need a gray one badly. Hint hint, J.Crew. They’re perfect. The weight is substantial enough to not be clingy or see-through, and they hit at a great spot on the waist without requiring a tuck. Fantastic. Don’t change.

   

2. These retractable USB-C chargers. I now have them in a few rooms in my house, and of course in my travel bag. They’re very cute, very functional, and very speedy. My dead phone is back to 50% in a matter of minutes.

   

3. This filtered shower head. My hair has basically been womp womp ever since I left New York City (the best tap water in the world!!) My local water now is very mineral-heavy, and this filtered approach has been a game-changer. I promise you can install it yourself, it comes with an entire kit, including a wrench and plumber’s tape. I have silver, but the colors are so fun, right?

   

4. These car headrest hooks. They keep my bags from spilling all over the place in the back seat for $8, a no-brainer.

   

5. This travel tote. I’ve written about it before, but this capacious bag is not ludicrous. It’s the perfect 2nd item for carrying on. It can fit a couple pairs of shoes, your purse, laptop, toiletry bag, hardback book, electronics pouch, and whatever extra goodies you pick up at the airport. The inside has many pockets and sleeves for organized stowing, it zips completely at the top, it has a band to slip over the handle of your roller bag, and fits under the seat. 8 prints/colors. Go.

   

6. These mascara wands. I’m no longer a victim of clumpy mascara. At the advice of a hair and makeup artist I often work with on set, using individual wands helps keep the tube clean and gives you a fresh start with each use. These are not plastic, which me feel less guilty about the whole single use thing.

   

7. This tinted moisturizer foundation. I have zero patience for complicated make-up routines. I need simplicity, which this provides. I use it every day for the fantastic but lightweight coverage, and the fact that it doesn’t disperse to the creases. Two small squirts is plenty for my entire face, so the tube lasts a while. The end.

   

8. This toothbrush. As a teenager and young adult, I had so many cavities. This thing has vastly improved my dental health for over 10 years, and I will forever preach the good word. You do have to floss... sorry. (My floss recco.) There is a trick to maintaining the investment: Like all rechargeable electronics, do not ever put it in the charger cup unless it’s dead or close to, and certainly never when it’s wet. The battery will last for 3-5 years if you maintain it.

   

9. My white noise machine. Have fun breaking into my house. I may sleep through it thanks to this thing.

   

10. These ceramic non-stick sheet pans. Everything Made In makes is top-notch quality, but these are something I use almost daily (in addition the Chef’s Knife). Since my diet has shifted largely to roasting huge trays of cut up veggies for meals, I used to go through so much tin foil to avoid clean-up. But absolutely nothing sticks to these things. The 1/4 sheet is perfect for a couple filets, the larger for any other needs.

I hope you try and find something new to love or to take the edge off an annoyance. Meanwhile: The decades-long struggle to find a bra I actually like continues…

Thank you for being here,

P.S. Typos are proof a human wrote this. A human who is dyslexic but well-meaning.

In Case You Missed It…

The in-between of June/July was filled with a lot of great cultural moments, and these things were worth pausing to enjoy:

Movies & Television

Besides The Odyssey (which I loved. Hi, Edith Hamilton founded my high school), I absolutely cackled watching The Invite. Directed by and co-starring Olivia Wilde, this play-like film captures the awkward and ever-evolving dinner party dynamics of two couples living in neighboring apartments in San Francisco. The acting brings it home. I laughed, cringed, laughed again, and was touched when it wrapped up in a very real way. Expect the unexpected.

The second chapter of The Four Seasons debuted this summer on Netflix. It’s maybe even more delightful than the first, with more travel, laughs, and fights than ever. This show is just a hug to me, although it is insanely unrealistic to have a friend group of that size able to travel together multiple times a year (ha!) My favorite characters are played by Tina Fey and Colman Domingo… Their imperfect friendship is important to me. :)

Books, etc.

I’m not breaking any new ground here, as these are best-sellers (and both are on Obama’s Summer Reading List), but I very much genuinely enjoyed them:

This novel follows two childhood best friends as they grow up in the Jim Crow South without parents, head off on diverging paths after high school, and finally reconnect at very different stages of life in adulthood. The story is moving, at times heartbreaking, and offers lessons on the pressure we put on ourselves to try to fix what’s broken—sometimes instead of really living. 4.5/5

Patchett’s ability to turn small, low stakes stories into something effervescent should be studied. She does it every time. I’m trying to keep this vague on purpose: In Whistler, a middle-aged New Yorker has a surprise reunion with someone important from her childhood. This person’s reemergence leads her to assess present relationship dynamics, and revisit a piece of family history. Maybe it’s the meet cute at the Met, or the distinctly northeast setting, but I enjoyed every moment. It is not tragic, it is not abuse-related, it is just personal and touching, and it’s beautifully written. 5/5

Podcasts & Music

The Alabama Shakes have a new album coming out this month, I Must Be Dreaming. Singles are dropping every so often. I Feel Hope Coming is a song I (and I think many of us) need right now.

As for a standout podcast episode from the queue:

This week on Good Hang, host Amy Poehler talked to legendary (to me) writer Anne Lamott, a match made in heaven. Two brilliant women talking about life? Yes. An important soundbite: “We’re not all nuts in the same day.”

Food!

I’m adding this section because I absolutely love to cook, and great recipes must be shared. Since it’s been such a fantastic peach season, I’ve been including them in everything where I can. These three are fantastic (all gift articles):

Halloumi, Peach and Cucumber Spoon Salad

Roasted Chicken with Fennel and Peaches

Peach Upside Down Cake

Enjoy!

Thank you for being here,

And in case you missed it…

Movies & Television

A New England mayor (Matthew Rhys) and a band of misfits must come to terms with their home’s supernatural past and present as they struggle to shape their island’s future as a very normal and safe tourist destination. We’re half way (I think) through the first season and I am absolutely hooked. And as with everything AppleTV+, the production quality (and cast) is absolutely top notch. See also: The Studio, Shrinking, and Pluribus, a few of my other favorites.

This surprised me! I clicked on this in passing and was drawn in almost instantly. I knew Noah Kahan’s music fairly well (Stick Season was hard to miss), but I had no concept of his hands-on musical talent nor anything about the man on a personal level. Well, this feature-length documentary dives into it all, and will leave you wholly impressed and a true fan. And I’m jealous of how dang good he looks with French braids!

Books, etc.

This book is very silly, fun, and a great popcorn book for lovers of mystery novels and all of their many archetypes and tropes. Sometimes you just need the easy beach read. 3.5/5 stars for me.

Next on my pile is Kin by Tayari Jones (2026)

Podcasts & Music

Speaking of crime…

Serial: The Idiot follows a Russian journalist’s telling of his family member’s murder-for-hire plot against his wife over an easy 5-chapters. Spoiler alert: he doesn’t succeed. The family angle makes this more interesting than your average investigation.

Not a true crime junkie? How about a playlist? My Chill Summer master mix is freshly updated. I love to shuffle this with suggestions as I’m working around the house or in the office. The vibes are dreamy.

Enjoy!

Thank you for being here,

In case you missed it…

1. Rear Window (1954)

This is maybe my favorite movie period. I’ve watched this an incalculable number of times, and I notice a new detail with very viewing. That’s the power of Alfred Hitchcock’s world building for you. He was absolutely insane, but he was a genius. (Bonus points if you notice his iconic cameo.)

The premise is simple and gripping: A bored, wheelchair-bound photojournalist with a broken leg (Jimmy Stewart) gets a little too familiar with the happenings and habits of his neighbors while recovering in his New York City apartment. With open windows (pre-AC) and floors-upon-floors of little slices of life, there’s a lot to see and hear. After he’s awakened by a crash and stifled scream late one night, he begins obsessing over the sudden absence of the bedridden wife he’d noted in the building across the courtyard, and he also notices the odd behavior of her husband.

Roping in his practically perfect fashion buyer girlfriend (Grace Kelly) and sarcastic nurse (Thelma Ritter), together they try to solve the murder they increasingly believe happened right under their noses. It is so delightfully New York without ever leaving a studio apartment. Plus… Grace Kelly. Come on.

2. Now & Then (1995)

This is the story of a summer filled with: Girlhood. Adventure. Crushes. Libraries. Spying. Growing up. A treehouse. The occult. Girls punching boys. This movie has everything!

More importantly, this movie taught me it not only possible but a moral responsibility to tell boys (and ill-behaved adults) to f•ck off when necessary. Thank you, Christina Ricci, Gabby Hoffman, and Thora Birch. Equally captivating and educating: the dynamic of the four main characters both in childhood and adulthood is unexpected and nuanced, and I admire how they embrace their differences whole-heartedly while still showing up for each other. I love friendship stories, and this is truly one of the best.

3. A League of Their Own (1992)

This endearing tale of two competing sisters is positioned neatly into the larger (and very true) story about the formation of the first women’s professional baseball league during World War II. We get to enjoy their growth alongside the larger sport finding its footing as a business worth taking seriously. And guess what? Professional women’s baseball is back in 2026, baby.

Starring Geena Davis as an ace catcher, Lori Petty as her insecure but talented pitcher kid sister, and Tom Hanks as their washed up, alcoholic player-turned-coach, the story strikes an extremely pleasing balance of comedy and low stakes drama wrapped in celebratory, historical packaging. Between the main cast and supporting characters (Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, Garry Marshall, Jon Lovitz), there’s a lot to keep you laughing, and maybe even tearing up.

The question is: did she drop it on purpose? We’ll never know. And remember: there’s no crying in baseball.

4. Dirty Dancing (1987)

I think we all know this classic… What has always read to me as an extremely 80s movie, this allegedly 60s-set romance centers on Baby (Jennifer Grey), who joins her family at a resort for the summer. Baby crushes hard on a hot dance instructor (Patrick Swayze), and when his partner has to bow out of an upcoming paid performance for medical reasons (shh!), she volunteers to step in so they don’t lose out on the gig. Everyone is ridiculously hot. The soundtrack is phenomenal. And she carries a watermelon. Har har.

I nominate Connor Storrie for the biopic if there’s ever a Patrick Swayze retrospective. Jesus. He’s a spitting image.

5. Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

It’s me again loving a timeline-hopping, historically-minded story. As a girl who also lost her big brother tragically, it healed something in met to watch spitfire Idgie Threadgood (Mary Stuart Masterson) become a badass independent lady and a fierce friend to meek Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker), while decades later inspiring solidly-in-a-rut Evelyn (Kathy Bates) reclaim her own strength and identity. There’s no easy way to recap this story except: TOWANDA! If you’ve never seen it, now is definitely the time.

6. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

“How’s the peeping, Tommy? How’s the peeping.” Absolutely no one is creepier than Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), a parasitical psychopath, who inserts himself into the relatively peaceful life of an unsuspecting rich playboy Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) and his adoring girlfriend Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow). Set mostly in and around Italy’s Amalfi Coast, Rome and Venice, this visually stunning thriller unfolds slowly as we watch the couple first embrace the new friendship, and later struggle to disentangle themselves from the man’s ambitions. Spoiler alert: It does not end well.

The award for best character intro goes to: Philip Seymour Hoffman as Dickie’s actual best friend Freddie, who immediately begins to dismantle Tom’s façade to devastating consequences. Watch for the expert filmmaking and acting, stay for the stunning visuals and old world fashion.

Also worth checking out: Netflix’s mini series remake Ripley, which is shot entirely in black and white, yet loses absolutely none of the mystery and charm.

7. Twister (1996)

The peak of 90s natural disaster thrillers, Twister tackles meteorological science, divorce paperwork, car insurance, capitalism, and the art of keeping a white tank top almost spotless despite entering the “suck zone” of an F-3 tornado. Cinema!

As he is often bound to do, Philip Seymour Hoffman steals the ensemble cast standout award by turning an otherwise minor supporting role into something entirely endearing and comedically critical. RIP, you absolute legend.

8. The Parent Trap (1998)

We are blessed. We are blessed because this remake exists and—I would argue—improves upon the original. At summer camp in Maine, two separated twin sisters (Lindsay Lohan) meet for the first time and realize they share parents they’ve never known, and decide to swap places after their session ends.

No one was cooler to me as a kid than poker-playing, fencing expert, Napa winery/ranch living Hallie… Not to mention daughter-of-a-fashion-designer, secret handshake mastering, London habitating Annie. This film is just a warm hug. Emotionally, sartorially, geographically: Iconic.

9. Signs (2002)

Signs scratches a supernatural itch I can’t quite explain, but I have it nonetheless. Because it is an M. Night Shyamalan movie, the cinematography is methodical, and the narrative puzzle he weaves together is always interesting to me, if only because of the clear amount of work that went into it. What do you mean she said that??

In rural Pennsylvania, a grieving widower (Mel Gibson) is confronted by another harsh reality (besides, ya know, a spouse dying): something new he can’t control or explain may be unfolding. Crop circles appear in his cornfields, the global news is streaming nonstop evidence of an invasion, and meanwhile he must protect his young children (Abigail Breslin, Rory Culkin) as much as he can with support from his live-in brother (Joaquin Phoenix).

I am by no means advocating for the CGI quality, but practical shots like this will get me every time. Something knocked that swing out of the way as it ran into the field. Creepy! I love it.

10. Disturbia (2007)

(If you have teenagers, this is something you should fire up.) Speaking of Rear Window, this very Millennial homage shifts the story to a teenager on house arrest after attacking his jerk of a Spanish teacher while in a grief spiral. While on lockdown, he keeps tabs on the neighborhood (including a very cute new next door neighbor) and finds himself obsessing over not only her, but a potential serial killer living down the street. How well do we know our neighbors?

Shia Labeouf—one of the truly saddest Generational Talent-to-absolutely-tragic trajectories—is phenomenal in his chaotic but controlled, fast-talking, expressive way. (I so dearly wish he hadn’t crashed out before adulthood, but alas… child actors.) We’ll always have his Twinkie tower.

Honorable Mentions:

There are many: Moonrise Kingdom, Something’s Gotta Give, The Sandlot, Grease, Before Sunrise, The Way, Way Back… etc. I hope you’ll also mention your favorites in the comments. I’m always up for a new cinematic adventure.

Thank you for being here,

I saw The Drama last weekend with a friend, and we both loved it. I’m more of a A24 movie studio fan than she is, so it was a surprise to me just how much she enjoyed the insanity, “minus all the projectile vomiting.” Fair enough! It’s a dark comedy directed by Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli, and centers on the Robert Pattinson character (a Brit), which makes the European perspective on the eponymous drama very interesting. It’s twisted, wonderfully acted, and ultimately is technically a romantic comedy, though with a very, very 2026 lens. Plus… Zendaya’s wardrobe? Yes.

I appreciate any movie that takes a big swing to tell an original story. I’m so tired of the enshitified IP revivals and sequels. I’m side-eyeing the Practical Magic sequel trailer big time… Of course I’ll see it, but it looks absolutely horrible.

And for my television recommendation:

If you are remotely interested in human stories, appreciate smart people, and believe in science, this is a great show for you. Every episode covers an hour in a Pittsburgh emergency department day shift (15 episodes/season). It’s riveting, it’s emotional, and actual doctors and nurses confirm it is highly accurate. One of my favorite moments from this season (this is not a spoiler): in the finale, we get a view of the staff in their street clothes that feels like a special treat after weeks in increasingly mussed scrubs.

And oh my God Doctor Bangs’ pants. (She is affectionately called by this nickname by The Prestige TV Podcast, which I also love as a TV nerd.) These and these look similar, but nothing beats The Row for perfect pants. I wish I had the budget.

P.S. You must watch the season 2 end credits!

Do not expect to relate to this woman’s upbringing or lifestyle. That’s not the point, and yes, wealthy people can experience trauma, too. I know, it’s shocking. This is the memoir of an heiress—the granddaughter of socialite Babe Paley—and a hard-learned lesson in the importance of maintaining financial independence from your spouse should he have a midlife crisis and dump your family for a mistress in the middle of COVID. Have your own money, ladies!

I read this in a single weekend, which says a lot (I am a slow reader, people!) This story follows a young woman through two college relationships, and the unexpected aftermath later in adulthood. I enjoyed her writing style so much that I bought two of her other books to add to the stack, including Writers and Lovers, which follows the same characters at another stage in their lives.

If you’re a fellow podcast girlie, you’ve come to the right place. My favorite company when cleaning, cooking, or putting my makeup on in the morning is a good podcast. Here are some great recent episodes:

You’re Wrong About: The Great American Spelling Bee

Walks through the history of American English, how spelling was formalized (and the battle against where we’ve ended up), plus Spelling Bees themselves as a Puritan pass time turned athletic-level competition spectacle. I loved every minute! And it made me feel better about my dyslexic “jazz spelling” tendencies.

Other podcasts I absolutely love: The Big Picture (movies!), Fixing Famous People (pop culture), and of course, Good Hang with Amy Poehler. She’s so good.

As for music, guess what? I still make playlists. Here’s mine for this spring:

Please share any of your recent recommendations in the comments, I’d love to hear them.

Thank you for being here,

In case you missed it…

I’m not sure why we treat January 1st—the dead of winter—as a great time to start striving. I could think of nothing I’d rather do less when I’m in survival mode, and to be clear: winter’s short, dark days and freezing temperatures most certainly put me in that mindset. By a few months in, however, I think we have our legs under us a bit more. The routines are back, calendars are busy, and there’s more to look forward to.

Enter: glorious Spring. Blooming plants! Daylight Savings! New life! Promises kept! And God, the serotonin boost I feel when the sky is still light out after I return from work and the gym… It’s like I have my life back. What a miracle. Spring offers a new world, and a new lease on life, if you let it. What will we do with that precious energy? In the spirit of a reset and renewal, I offer you my 5 little intentions for the spring season:

1. Grow something. I’m starting with planting a vegetable garden. I have a nice backyard and plenty of sunshine, and though I’ve never been much of a green thumb, I figure starting with a nice raised bed and some light research can do wonders for a little cultivation.

   

2. Create more. In a non-work-related capacity, that is. To an extent, working on my house qualifies, but since I’ve maxed out the budget on big changes for now, I’d like to turn back to older pastimes like painting and drawing. when you are “creative” for a living, hobbies like this feel daunting or even sometimes exhausting to consider, but the loss of doing things with my hands is a real one. I miss the way it forces my brain to relax and approach problems in a different way. Time to try again.

   

3. Keep going. I’ve been strength training for 45 minutes, 3 times a week every week for almost 2 years now (with exceptions for travel and illness, of course.) I also have a Peloton bike at home for days when I’m not in the gym with my trainer. The results have been, well, very slow coming but remarkable nonetheless. I’m learning that like muscle, discipline builds on itself in action. I’ve never really been good at discipline, so the mission here is simply to keep practicing it.

   

4. Read more books. So far this year, I read all six Game Changers books (zero regrets), and I’ve since enjoyed The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, Horse by Geraldine Brooks, and a couple others that were less memorable. Next on the list are Buckeye by Patrick Ryan, and Strangers by Belle Burden. That’s an admirable start for me, a person who can go many months without turning a page. And you know what? I am better for it. How obnoxious.

   

5. Be less online. I keep draining my phone battery down before it’s even 5pm, and to me that says enough. The mission is: Stop the scroll. Look out the window. Put my fingers in the dirt. Go for a walk without headphones or a camera... etc.. Should we call this peacemaxxing? I’ll see myself out…

Happy Easter, should you celebrate. But more importantly: happy spring!

Thank you for being here,

1. It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)

I’m sure my old movie-loving father introduced me to this, as it’s not high on the rotation for most. But it’s so charming, and a classic vintage New York comedy. There’s also a very cute dog. My synopsis is below, but it’s also fun to go in blind and enjoy each little twist.

An elderly serial squatter makes his annual visit to the 5th Avenue mansion of a real estate tycoon, who usually is out of town for the season. When his heiress daughter runs away from finishing school and heads back to the city, she is surprised to find not only him, but a group of drifters in her house, including a young war veteran she quickly has eyes for.

Instead of revealing her rich girl identity, she pretends to need a place to stay and woos him. When her father returns home to find her, she convinces him to begrudgingly play pretend with the visitors.

This is such a good hidden gem!

More vintage chaos…

2. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

Chaos, a career reckoning, and the resulting comedy go hand-in-hand with Christmas in this silly romance. It has everything: a quirky character actor, a wandering cow, a baby swallowing a watch, and a woman who must prove herself Ina Garten-esque to her editor and her unexpected guest.

In it, a popular magazine columnist is asked to make a POW survivor’s Christmas wish come true, and quickly must make the imaginary homemaker life she writes about a reality—or at least put on a good show of it. She immediately falls for the soldier, which greatly complicates the escapade, wherein she’s pretending to be married, a mother, and fabulous cook.

It’s worth a watch for the outfits alone. I always wear a gown and fur bolero on Christmas!

Now for something in color…

3. Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)

This has always been one of my mother’s favorites, and we first watched it when she got the VHS for Christmas one year when I was a kid. Technically a four-season vs. purely Christmas film, this eye candy musical captures a midwest family in flux as they celebrate the World’s Fair coming to their city, while they simultaneously recieve the news that they’re moving.

Judy Garland positively glows in this movie, which was directed by her future husband.

The youngest sister is played by Margaret O’Hara, a standout and perfect match to Garland’s iconic presence. Even if you don’t watch the whole thing, at least watch this…

How about something from this millennium? Okay…

4. The Holdovers (2023)

A new classic, I saw this endearing film in the theater and it’s been in the rotation ever since. When we walked outside after, I really expected to see snow on the ground, that’s how transportive it feels. If you really watch it (no phones!) you’ll see what I mean. The music, the establishing landscape shots, and the classic Northeast scenery is a great stage for the phenomenal acting.

A boarding school teacher is left to babysit the students who have nowhere to go for the holidays. A late-arriving parent whisks most of them away for a ski vacation, but without a permission slip there’s one very complicated young man left alone with the teacher and a grieving school cook, who recently lost her son in Vietnam.

I love any story that gives context, grace, and a chance for transformation to a lifelong curmudgeon (relatable), so this is just delightful to me.

I’m sorry in advance for the last one...

5. The Family Stone (2005)

I know, I know. This is hardly a sleeper find. But it’s so touching, funny, and relatable, not to mention the ambiance… My parents lived in Riverside, CT for over a decade, and the house was right down the road, I always ogled it on the way to church…

For a movie so filled with people and loudly-expressed big feelings, I love the quieter scenes of reflection by the matriarch played by the late Diane Keaton.

Spoiler alert: For anyone who has lost an immediate family member, it is a difficult club to be in (especially during the holidays) and I think telling stories of grief, loss and remembrance are important. Because life is full of…

The end!

I know this list is not exhaustive, but it is personal. I hope you watch something that fills you up. Happy holidays, my friends!

For me, 2025 began hilariously with a car fire. I was driving home from getting my oil changed at the Volvo dealer, when 3 minutes in, I noticed a plume of white smoke emerging from the engine block. In a matter of seconds, the car was engulfed and totaled before the fire department could get there. Suddenly, I was without my last remnant of my Ohio life, standing next to a group of highly-entertained hibachi chefs filming the incident.

I think it was staring into the flames of a mechanic’s botch job when I realized: girl, you have to get a grip. This stupid incident was comical, and a paper cut compared to the coinciding devastation of the LA fires’ obliteration. Sure, the car could be yet another thing I add to my long list of things happening to me over the past two years, or I could decide to move on. Okay, I thought, I’ll give acceptance a go.

Read more

Vintage Instagram photo of a Note to Self Print Shop (RIP) quote by Sara Kate from Pastiche Studios

Anyway, perhaps as a level-set for who I am today, I thought a little AOL chain mail style questionnaire circa 2015 could be fun. Please feel free to leave your answers to these questions in the comments or a post of your own, I’d love to know more about you, too.

1. What is the most-played song in your music library?

The most played is probably something gym/workout-related that is not actually reflective of a favorite song… so I’m deviating. The first two are in this playlist.

This month: Come Closer by Sombr, I love his entire album, and this song has such a great beat and matches my level of cranky on a number of occasions.

This year: Let’s see if Spotify Wrapped validates this, but I think it’s Rein Me In by Sam Fender featuring Olivia Dean. Both artists are so incredible!

This decade: I’m not 100% sure, but I really love Maggie Rogers so it’s probably one of her debut album songs like Back In My Body or Light On. This album has no skips and I listen to it all the time.

2. What is your favorite thing about your current occupation or job, whatever it may be?

It’s always the satisfaction of completing a project, and seeing it hit the airwaves. I’m the first to critique it, but that’s life as a creative. We’re always thinking about what’s next, and how it can be different or better. And that’s fun!

3. City or country?

City. And I’m fortunate to have a nice mix of both with a house technically in the city, but with a yard and the niceties of fresh air and friendly neighbors.

4. What is your coping mechanism after a really bad day?

Lifting at the gym, a Peloton ride, or a brisk walk. And if it’s really bad: probably complaining to my mother, who is a great listener, empathizer, and giver of advice.

5. Favorite item in your closet right now?

These shoes. I wear them too much. And also these jeans… I don’t wear them rolled up like they have them styled—but they’re great! Trust me.

6. Skill or craft you still want to learn or work on?

Woodworking. How does one learn woodworking? But I’d be unstoppable if I could build my own shelves.

7. What is your most precious keepsake?

Probably something from my late older brother.

8. What’s at the very tip top of your holiday wish list this year?

I don’t really have any urgent desires this year. I’ve asked for a few books. I’m hoping this one will motivate me to do something meaningful with my back yard!

9. What’s your favorite spot in the town/city/state you currently live in?

My porch. Ha! No offense to North Carolina, I just like being home most of all.

Thank you for reading, I hope you play along…