I turned 28 this past week and decided to take time off of work for myself. With the heat wave (and maybe the dread of approaching my third decade of life), I didn’t particularly want to spend too much time away from home. And, now […]
Review: Bolu Babalola’s “Honey & Spice”
It’s been a minute since I’ve picked up a romance novel that’s swept me off my feet. While perusing the library one day, I happened upon Bolu Babalola’s Honey & Spice in the New Fiction section. I’ve always found myself snickering at Babalola’s jokes on […]
Why I love deadheading flowers
Our summer days in the Central Valley are blisteringly hot; it feels like walking on coals whenever I venture out into my parents’ rock garden in nothing but a ratty pair of Old Navy sandals mid-afternoon. But early mornings — a few hours after dawn […]
Leaning into the grandmacore life
I recently watched a Vogue video with Alexa Chung talking about quietly slipping into the Met Gala last minute in a modest Christian Siriano gown and no longer needing to be the person who creates the loudest noise. In the winter years of my 20s, […]
What to wear when you’re gardening
I’m telling everyone that I’m in my Vietnamese grandpa era. These days, I’ve been into flannel shirts, clogs, multi-pocketed cargo pants, and wide-brimmed fishing hats—things that made up my late grandpa’s go-to outfit on his flea market ventures. Fact: These also happen to be the […]
Review: Carmen Maria Machado’s “Her Bodies and Other Parties” and Linda Holmes’ “Flying Solo”
Do you ever think about the patriarchy and get your fists balled up a little? My past two reads, Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Bodies and Other Parties and Linda Holmes Flying Solo, couldn’t be more different in concept, but I’d say that both of them […]
My first time ordering from Hey Rooted!
Hey, guess who just got *rooted*? I’m a thrifty gal, and I don’t usually seek out uncommon plants. Most of my plant collection comes from pure serendipity as I encounter cool picks from nurseries, flea markets, and grocery stores. BUT, I’ll occasionally do a little […]
So-called easy-care prayer plants I haven’t killed…yet
Ross and Rachel. Sam and Diane. J.D. and Elliot. Me and prayer plants. Prayer plants and I have the most on-and-off relationship ever because I cannot resist their gorgeous patterned leaves no matter how much pain they cause me down the line. They get crispy […]
Review: Christopher Griffin’s You Grow, Gurl!: Plant Kween’s Lush Guide to Growing Your Garden
Plant Kween, AKA Christopher Griffin, is easily one of my favorite plant personalities. They’re so joyful and warm and playful; their personality pops off the screen and instantly brightens up my Instagram feed with each post. Not only do they bring plant care back to […]
The best summertime fragrances!
I’m back again with a fragrance recommendation list because my vanilla perfumes post was surprisingly a hit! Anyway, I first got into perfumes the first summer of the pandemic. Because no one was actively smelling me up, it was truly a hobby for my own […]