FMG: I watched so many movies this week
and I had a second encounter with fame!!!!
Happy Friday! The weather in Chicago has been poooositively perfect for the last week-ish (I’m sitting next to my open, breezy window as we speak!), and there’s a new Sabrina Carpenter album out today (!!!). There’s a lot to be sad/scared about, but there’s equally as much to be happy/excited about. For these next few minutes, let’s lean into the happy together.
Speaking of joy, my celeb sighting streak continues! You may recall that I encountered Orlando Bloom in an elevator bank two weeks ago — and this past weekend, I met Governor JB Pritzker. I know he’s not perfect (no politician is, which is why I don’t worship them like some kind of deranged idiot), but it was an honor to shake his hand and thank him for the ways he stands up for our city, our state, and the people who live here.
Let’s talk about the week!
Movies: When I wasn’t bopping around the city in search of famous people, I spent the rest of the week watching movies (and also, obviously, working, sleeping, obsessing over my niece and nephews, etc.). In the order in which I watched them, let’s discuss:
The Notebook: I am genuinely not sure what happened to my body on Friday night, but I simply sat down to watch an old favorite (seriously, I have seen this film about 35 times) and proceeded to positively bawl my eyes out. I knew exactly what was going to happen (down to the minute!!!!), yet I still spent the entire experience absolutely HEAVING with sobs. I’m a big fan of catharsis, so I wasn’t mad about it — but it was worth noting and my therapist has been alerted.
Back In Action: Something about me is that I loooooove a straight-to-streamer. I don’t CARE if three-quarters of the budget went to the cast and therefore there was little money left for the script or the production value! I will still watch it, and I will genuinely still love it!! On Sunday night, I (and my sister and brother-in-law) watched Netflix’s Back In Action, which stars Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx as former spies turned semi-embarrassing parents of teenagers. It was so cute! And so funny! Their chemistry is off the charts, the storyline was obviously insane but fun, and the cast was truly wild (it also included Glenn Close, Kyle Chandler, and Andrew Scott!). I feel confident in saying that it was my third-favorite of Cameron's roles, following Amanda Woods in The Holiday and this one.
Lonely Planet: What a terribly named film! I thought it was a documentary about endangered animals! Alas, it’s a May-December romance starring Laura Dern and Miley Cyrus’s ex-husband/Gale from The Hunger Games. My sister, brother-in-law, and I were hoping to continue our streak of selecting great Netflix films, and we hoped this one would fit the bill. It was kind of a weird mix of Eat Pray Love and The Idea of You (neither of which is necessarily my jam?), but it was an easy watch.
Candles: Something that has unfortunately become a piece of my brand is that I frequently purchase candles that I discovered in the restrooms of restaurants. This famously first occurred at an Italian restaurant in Dallas — the candle smelled SO good but was completely unmarked, so I legitimately Facebook messaged the restaurant (this was 2016), and they told me what it was. I’ve had a constant rotation of the Ergo rosemary candle in my home ever since. This also happened at Giant here in Chicago (omg soooo good, I think about the chili salt onion rings about once a week), where they burn Malin + Goetz’s Otto in their restrooms. (Guess where else that candle is now burned — you guessed it, it’s in my very own living room.) I went to RPM Seafood this past weekend (to celebrate my honey baby bestie Kelly’s bday!), and I audibly gasped upon stepping into the bathroom and smelling the signature RPM candle. It’s a sandalwood rose scent, you can buy it online for $28 and pick it up for free at RPM Steak, and if you want to smell it for yourself, you can now just come on over to my home. As it turns out, you CAN buy happiness.
Love/Music/Joy: If you’re feeling shocked that I’ve made it this far in the newsletter without mentioning the engagement of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, that would make two of us. I was, of course, one of the 33.8 million people who was OVERJOYED by the news of the beautiful proposal, and I couldn’t be happier for my close friends. I don’t personally have any ~hot takes~ about the engagement (and in fact think the vast majority of those who do need to touch an immense amount of grass), and I am simply so thrilled to see the person who has narrated the soundtrack of my life (I was 15 when “Fifteen” came out! I am literally blessed!) find such happiness while also achieving her biggest career goals. The fact that Taylor met her fiancé because of the tour she went on to fund the purchase of her music (which she did!) is so beautiful and such proof that the right love finds you when you’re living the life you’re meant to be living. I think the new album is going to be one of her absolute best :)
Have a wonderful long weekend. Drink an espresso martini for me!
XO,
Gail
P.S. Have you read or listened to news from a trusted source today? I’m begging you to! It’s a crazy, overwhelming, and stressful time in the world, and unbiased journalism is one of our best weapons in the fight against misinformation and oppression. It’s cool to care!!