August
I’ve been spending more time admiring flowers lately. They’re scattered reminders that beauty sometimes hides in plain sight. They also remind me of my grandmother who’s always had a green thumb and still keeps her patio overflowing with flowers.
Delicate petals. Vibrant yet natural colors. The way you can tell when they’ve been meticulously groomed and placed versus what they look like growing wild and defiantly. Throughout the summer, I’ve done many second takes as I walk through familiar neighborhoods. Everything looks so different from even 3 months ago.
Sometimes I’ll think back on a memory—like that one time my grandmother saw that our neighbours across the way were re-doing their garden. She somehow managed to ask them (without knowing a single word of English) if she could help dig up the flowers they didn’t want so she could replant them in our yard. She worked tirelessly that day, crossing the road again and again with pot in hand, sleeves rolled up, ready to dig up her treasure. She always wore the same types of patterned button-up tops with loose flowy pants and that didn’t change even though she was practically excavating their yard. A green thumb was not one of the traits I adopted from her. I sometimes wish I picked her brain more when we lived in the same country.
Other times I just take a moment to appreciate their beauty. Snap a photo maybe. It almost feels like the universe’s way of telling me to slow down and smell the flowers (ha ha). Or maybe it’s a reminder to call my grandmother. Either way, it’s a necessary nudge.
If I had to pick a theme for August, it would be “social”. The end of summer always brings last minute plans, birthdays, and gatherings. We also wanted to double down on the momentum we feel with Kinship so we hosted 3 events in August. If I’m being completely honest, it was probably a little too social for me. No regrets at all, I’m proud that I’ve been pushing myself out of my comfort zone more but I’m making it an intention to make September from restful.
Repeating
I don’t usually have closet repeats that are as obvious but in August my Aest Studio Large Capture Bag and Still Here NYC Every Day jean were the stars of the show. Our summer wasn’t as hot as I had hoped it would be but it means that I got to keep denim in the rotation which makes me pretty happy. The fit of these jeans is just chefs kiss. They hug my mid-waist perfectly, still has definition around my bum, and is actually straight and relaxed throughout the leg—checking off the holy trinity of denim fit.
When I first received my Aest Studio Large Capture I was a little doubtful I’d reach for it a lot. Although the size and organization made a lot of sense, it felt strange carrying around a large bag but not have it fit my laptop. I stand corrected. It does actually fit my 14” MacBook Pro if I don’t zip it up, which I don’t usually do anyways. There’s removable compartment dividers inside the bag so that you can create separate spaces for tumblers, cameras, or whatever else you don’t want sliding around the bag. I don’t think I wore any of my other totes once.
Discoveries
I’m trying to get better at actually talking about products that I’m loving. I do get a lot of PR sent from brands but it takes me a while to try things and when I love something, I’m mostly just texting my friends about it.
My current tea obsession. I needed a new caffeine-free evening tea so I decided to try this pistachio forward rooibos tea from Nikaido. They’re a small local shop in my city which I’ll be buying all of my teas from now on. So impressed with this one.
A super easy lippy. I have a hard time finding tinted lip balms that actually work for my dry lips and this one from Glow Recipe was quite good. It now goes everywhere with me.
My current everyday blush. I’m definitely a creature of habit when it comes to blush and probably only swap out my blush once a season. This YSL powder blush in Nude Lavaliere actually made me do a mid-season swap from my holy grail Merit blush balm. It’s SO pigmented but also blends out beautifully. It’s also on sale right now on their website!
A big notebook for big ideas. The A4 Paper Republic Grand Voyageur was the last item from their GV line that I didn’t own and honestly I didn’t think it was something I needed. But since I started working on Kinship, I’ve wanted to draw diagrams and mind maps and just lay out our big ideas and it’s been perfect for that.
Loving
Every once in a while I’ll also find some items that go from “hmm, this is pretty good” to “I never want to run out.” I’m actually shocked about how many items are making it onto my repurchase list this year so I definitely had to share these.
Prequel AM/PM Cream has been my go-to AM moisturizer. I still use a thicker barrier cream in the PM which I like to use almost as an overnight mask but this has been the perfect barrier-repairing option for the dry Vancouver weather.
Aesop Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm has been my ride or die for a while actually and I now own this specific scent in both the tube AND the pump version.
Anessa SPF was introduced to me by my little sister who some how knows all the good Asian skincare and beauty. I got this when I was in Japan and honestly wished I bought a few extras as back up. It’s the best SPF consistency I’ve ever tried and settles in this beautiful velvety texture that becomes a perfect base for make up.
Bún Bò Xào Recipe has been my go-to all month. I’ve had it at least 2 times a week. It’s just such an easy meal to prep. I just make a big batch of meat and then cook a portion of vermicelli whenever I feel like eating it. I’ve also tried replacing the meat with ground chicken, ground beef, and tofu and it’s good no matter what.
Rock River Melody by Régime des Fleur. Every time I wear this I think about how it’s one of Alexa Chung’s favorite scents and it just makes me feel cool. It’s a handsome peppery floral that reminds me of the English countryside (even though I’ve never been).
Inspiration
I’m noticing a pattern in my creative process where I’ll hyper fixate on one platform for a few weeks at a time before I switch over to another. Although you could say I’m giving in to whatever fuels me at the moment, I do need to get better at using those obsessive moments more wisely and actually try to build out a content database that keeps my posting consistent.
All that’s to say, I’m currently back on the writing train which means I’m also obsessively reading other publications as well. So if you’ve been looking for some new publications to follow, here what’s been inspiring me:
Research as Leisure Activity. Building my digital garden had been one of my side quests for a while. It gets put on the back burner when life gets busy but this article by Celine definitely inspired me to keep working on it bit by bit.
The Subtle Art of Choosing What to Care About. Yes, I have read Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck. No, it’s not something I keep on my bookshelf at eye level. This article reminded me that while the language isn’t something that resonates with me (anymore), there were some valid points worth keeping.
You were lied to about exercise. This article lives in my brain rent free. I live a very sedentary lifestyle and have been needing a rewiring re: exercise for a while. While how I look does play a part in how I feel, our fitness routines should do more than just revolve around body composition.
A Case for a Monthly Curriculum. You’ve probably heard about the personal curriculums/syallabi trend already but it’s really taking form across Substack and social media and I love seeing it. I’m a hard believer of being a lifetime learner and nothing tickles my brain more than finding new formats and structures to try.
A Better Way to Think About AI. I’ve been seeing more and more content around AI dependancy and how humans are developing lazy tendencies. AI integration is mostly unavoidable in our workforce but taking the time to examine how we’re use it might a solution that turns AI into a tool everyone can learn from.
Snapping
