Recently Enjoyed Things | June 14, 2024

If it was cool in 2006, I'm probably still enjoying it.

Buckle up, because I have a bone to pick with the internet and I’m about to go all Karen and elevate this straight to management. Why am I being told so often to “stop doing this” or “stop wearing that” because it suggests really obviously that I am a millennial?

Friends, my name is Jennifer. I’m not fooling anybody. I was so obviously born in the 80’s.

When the internet told me to stop side parting my hair, I did. And when skinny jeans went out, so too did I go out to fetch a pair of something with looser fit and a lower rise. Then Birk clogs came back and I resisted, but ultimately wound up with a pair of potato shoes. But this is the last goddamn straw.

Look, I don’t think anyone is attacking me personally and moreover, I doubt anyone GenZ gives two shits what I wear or how I part my hair, but I am here to wave my white flag. I cannot care about socks enough to wonder if it makes me look old. The way I have to squint at my phone now does the trick. I don’t think I’m old at all actually and someday 35 will sound delightfully young to me, but I do suddenly have a lot more empathy for my mother who was still feathering her bangs like Farrah Faucet in the early 2000’s while I rolled my eyes at her.

What is our obsession with telling millennials to not look like millennials. Why are we freakishly obsessed with disguising ourselves as GenZ? It’ll never happen Ashley! Jessica! Amanda!

I’m not above it - I tried to keep up, but when I recently noticed that flip-flops are out and slides are in, maybe that was my actual “last goddamn straw” because you will pry these J Crew flops off my feet. I’ve been loyal to since 2005. I almost bought some slides because of course I don’t want to age myself either, but do I even like slides?

Grace Atwood

recently wrote a great post about shopping for ourselves, instead of some other girl, and you know what? I LIKE flip-flops and maybe I look like a millennial, but I am one and probably nobody actually cares. I am basically taking my mom’s stance with her feathered hair, because that’s who mom was in 1977, and she liked it still in the 90’s and and always will. Me too, mom. I like these flip flops (and tbh, a deep side part) so onward I go, confidently thwacking with every step.

But you got me on those loose fitting jeans. I’m in.

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But first, some housekeeping: there’s some affiliate links in here. But aren't they everywhere? Anyway, if you click on something and buy it, I might earn a commission at no cost to you.

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Recently Enjoyed

Reading

• No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy // Finished this week and it’s a good story, but gd it is difficult to read. I’m not sophisticated enough for this. McCarthy writes dialogue without quotation marks and if you get messed up on who is talking once, the entire conversation is wrecked. I’m not sure I understand that stylistic decision, but whatever. On to the movie.

Watching

• The Bear - Hulu // I mentioned this a couple weeks back, and I finally got around to starting this series. 2.5 episodes in and I’m hooked. I imagine the entire internet has already watched this, but if not, here’s the brief synopsis: Carmy comes home from his Michelin starred career to run his dead brother’s sandwich shop in Chicago. Its great, but I especially love how it brings forth my own memories of working at Applebees. BEHIND! CORNER!

• ⭐ The Blue Angels - Prime // Even if you don’t care about flying at all (I don’t) this documentary is so riveting. The Blue Angels are the US Navy’s demonstration flying group, created in 1946 to keep fresh in the minds the world the Naval aviation capabilities. The precision and attention to detail required of these pilots who routinely fly jets 18” apart knocked my socks clean off my feet. There is zero margin for error.

Shopping

• Floral Patch Tunic from Anthropologie - $138 // How cute is this completely unnecessary, but so fun crocheted daisy “dress” from Anthro?

• Talk Dirty to Me Tee from Etsy - $29 // I love a kitschy tee and this one made me laugh.

• ⭐ Pout Clout from elf - $8 // Impulse buy when I was in Target last week. Surprisingly pigmented, does that nice buzzy thing that plumping gloss does, and wears pretty well. I got Toasted (nude-y brown), but I think I’d like to go back for Pinky Out (nude-y pink) too. Pairs nicely with my Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk liner.

• Strappy Lace Up Sandals from Amazon - $35 // An elevated sandal that’s a little more formal than a flip-flop, but would look just as good with casual shorts.

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Recent Saves

Yeah, same here.

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3 Things

Inspired by

Maria DeVoto

- here are three things I bought that challenge the adage “experiences are better than possessions” because these material possessions are pretttttty good.

• Air pods // To accompany me on every run. To help me take my calls handsfree so I can also be wiping down the counters while talking to clients. To tune out the noise of my husband watching Youtube while I’m trying to read. Being able to mute my real life is priceless.

• Coffee maker with an automatic timer // The $14 model I bought at Walmart is not fancy, but she makes the coffee before my alarm goes off, and I am telling you that walking downstairs and immediately pouring a cup is what often gets me up in the morning.

• FitBit // I am so driven by numbers, this dongle on my wrist brings me joy all day long. I check my sleep, track my run, gurgle with joy when it buzzes at the 10,000 step celebration. I bought mine used on Poshmark - a risk, but it worked out - and swapped in a metal band from Amazon so it looks/feels more like a wristwatch. I delight in this daily.

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Sending You on Your Way

(Interesting things I found on the internet this week)

• ⭐ “The most important election of our lifetime” and other overrated things.

• Barbara Kingsolver’s beautiful words about her father.

• ⭐ I know where you were last night. Yeah, I don’t love it.

• The accuracy gave me a giggle.

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PS -

I’d love to see you over on Instagram. You can find me at recentlyenjoyedthings.

I’m also talking books, beauty, and style over at recentlyenjoyedthings.com

Here’s a few things I wrote about recently:

• Book report on One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

• Swimsuits, cover ups, and all the other accessories I’m excited about this summer.

• Everything I liked and recommended, all in one place.

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