HI! Long-ish time no chat. Many of my friends here will already know that I started a new job two weeks ago, and it’s been quite the adjustment going back to full-time work after 5.5 months off. Fulfilling, but exhausting. So when I typically would come home and work on this, I’ve pretty much just been falling asleep. And that’s okay! But I really do love what I’m doing here, sharing my life with you all, and I desperately want to keep it up (especially for my paid subs.)
As I continue to get back into the swing of my schedule, coming up you’ll be getting the November Monthly Manifest, as well as a few paid posts (South of France and some holiday gift guides). As always, let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see from Pen Pals!, especially as I start dreaming up what 2025 will bring. In the meantime, here’s what I was up to this past week:
R. — READING
Reading up on local candidates and important ballot initiatives for the upcoming election. Make sure you get out and VOTE!! It really really really matters.
E. — EATING
We finally went to Modu Cafe, which opened up in the neighborhood while we were out of town. We tried the yuja (like yuzu) madeleine and the mochi brownie, which were both tasty. We REALLY wanted to try the milk cream bun, but it sold out juuuust as we got to the front. 🥲
P. — PLAYING
OBVIOUSLY the new Bon Iver EP, SABLE,. Consistently one of my favorite artists since his 2008 album For Emma, Forever Ago, this release has been highly anticipated. Read more about it here if you’re interested. If you’re not, here’s a brief snippet:
These songs are reflections of unfinished business, of guilt and anguish. “I’m a sable/ and honey, us the fable,” he sings in the record’s closing track. Some of Vernon’s best songs are the saddest ones, and there’s a kind of unintentional toxic reinforcement that comes when everyone praises your most depressed instincts. SABLE, is named for near-blackness, the record an externalized projection of his turmoil. This trio of songs represents an unburdening from one of the most trying eras in Vernon’s life. There was a time not long ago where Vernon intentionally hid his face. Here, the blinds are open.
O. — OBSESSING OVER
These cutie custom matchbooks one of my oldest friends (since pre-school!) DIY’d for her wedding last week. Each one features a place special to her and her (now) husband, and we of course had to take more than one… 😇
R. — RECOMMENDING
This Autumn Vintage Jazz playlist has been my office go-to these past two weeks. It’s perfect if you’re looking to ease yourself into the holiday season and prefer songs without words to concentrate.
T. — TREATING (MYSELF TO)
A busy new job calls for slower weekends with a lot of kitty snuggles. I’m also being treated to lovely dinners and a wonderfully clean home each night when I return from work, because my darling husband is making it so. ❤️
P.S. Gracie helped write this!
How do I get that playlist?!