Another month down in the embodiment of chaos and weirdness that is 2020, kittens! What’s kept you perky and cheerful in spite of…everything?
Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Pencil in Shade 2
I’ve surrendered to the fact that masks mean curtailed lipstick wearing. This is tantamount to an identity crisis for me, as any longtime minion will know, but needs must. I’ve been reaching for this lip pencil instead because it makes me feel like I’m still making an effort (types the woman who gave her hair a blowdry for the the first time in weeks just because she and her husband were going to a pub!).
Saint and Sofia Trousers
Are you quarantined, working from home, or just generally locked in? Are you avoiding stepping on a scale? Do you need to look decent on Zoom calls while still being outrageously comfy? Ladies and gentlefolk, Saint and Sofia produces pants that look like trousers but are made from knitwear and don’t look like joggers. I bought a pair months ago and it’s been one of the better wardrobe investments of this year.
Unmentionable, by Therese Oneil
A hilarious, blunt romp through practical women’s history. For anyone who has ever watched a BBC bonnet and corset and sighed for a simpler life, this is required reading. From arsenic in your face cream, to the many household items which could inadvertently maim or maul you, to the sheer scale of the everyday filth, it makes you grateful for the basics…like suffrage, hygiene products, and legal autonomy.
Objects of Crisis, The British Museum
So many cultural heritage institutions have been committed to connecting their work to the masses, even in the midst of a pandemic and I’ve particularly enjoyed The British Museum’s YouTube series on objects from their collection that stem from personal or civilization crises across the ages.
Batch Cooking
We bought an InstaPot prior to lockdown but it and our KitchenAid have had more playtime in the last six months than I can count. Nary a week has gone by where I haven’t batch cooked at least twice in the last month. Here are some of my favorite recipes, please send me more.
Small Dog Syndrome 
Ooh, those trousers look so comfy!
My August highlight was having two meet-ups with friends after only talking on Zoom and WhatsApp since March. It was weird to see them and not be able to hug them, but we enjoyed a meal and coffee together outside. It felt almost like normal! I expect there will be more of the same in the winter — wrapped-up, socially distanced (so tired of this) catch-ups outside, drinking hot chocolate.
I honestly cannot endorse the trousers enough.
That sounds so lovely! Long calls with my best friends (and using COVID for the opportunity to really spend more effort in staying in touch with my far flung siblings) has been an unexpected positive. The slow transition to fall makes me really happy because I love cooler weather, but it is difficult to have missed out on so much face to face connection with friends that the summer usually allows. We’ve all gotten creative about Zoom calls which I love, but I’m craving an actual friend date!
Yes, thank goodness for Zoom! It’s been great, although I’m so looking forward to non-Zoom friend dates and actual dates when it’s possible again (haven’t really wanted to try virtual dating).
Five things that made me happy:
1) new sofa! Silver velvet. So pretty
2) scored a vintage kilim rug at auction online
3) found a new hairdresser
4) losing a bit of weight after swimming laps every day (now the pool is closed — SOB)
5) shopping for a new car (to lease)…now deciding between Mazda and Subaru