Hello to everyone, but especially to everyone named Janet

The best day of the week has finally arrived!

Today is a very special day, not only because 1. We made it through the worst month of the year and have now officially entered the season of love and heart-shaped everything, but also because 2. My Grandma Jan subscribed to my newsletter this week!! Grandma, I love you very much. I will try to keep the swearing in this email to a minimum, though I make no promises.

Thoughts from the week:

• February: It’s Black History Month! I encourage you to read this post, which I’ll personally be keeping in mind as I consume and share content this month and always.

• TV Shows: I recently re-embarked on my all-time favorite pastime, which is a full start-to-finish viewing of Desperate Housewives. To put it simply, Desperate Housewives is the single greatest TV show ever made, and that is a hill I would firmly die on — and for those who do not know, it is NOT the same thing as or a part of the Real Housewives franchise (which, to be clear, I also love). Desperate Housewives was a scripted, fictional show on ABC from 2004–2012, and it is equal parts genuinely suspenseful and SO funny. Please watch the pilot episode (all 8 seasons are on Hulu), then report back. (To get you started, the first 7 seconds of this clip offer the perfect representation of what to expect.)

• Music: Another of my favorite pastimes is meticulously curating and editing this playlist featuring my top 10 favorite Taylor Swift songs, which I recently overhauled. I saw a comment on TikTok that said that if you don’t “get the Taylor Swift thing,” you’re likely imagining her to just be the artist who sings “You Belong With Me” and “Shake It Off.” (Frankly, that’s like saying The Beatles are just “Here Comes the Sun” or Beyoncé is just “Single Ladies” — both are great, likable songs, but neither is indicative of the depth of these artists’ work/talent.) If you don’t “get the Taylor Swift thing” but are interested in understanding, I’d listen to the following five songs (in no particular order). (Here, I made a playlist for that too!!) Let me know when you’re ready for round 2 — you’ll be asking for all 10 minutes of “All Too Well” in no time.

  • Cowboy Like Me

  • Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve

  • Is It Over Now?

  • Champagne Problems

  • The 1

• Food: When I’m not thinking about Taylor Swift or Desperate Housewives (or, more specifically, Mike Delfino), I’m thinking about this heart-shaped Barilla pasta. I have been obsessed with finding it, but not obsessed in a way that would actually make me Uber to a Walmart to buy some — just obsessed in a way that I think about it (and what it would taste like smothered in vodka sauce) at all times. (It’s only available at Walmart, Kroger, and *some* Nordstrom Cafes???)

• Shopping: A few items that have genuinely improved my life as of late:

  • I use this $10 heart-shaped waffle maker pretty much every weekend (proof here), usually with the Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Protein Waffle/Pancake mix. Just add water (and a few shakes of cinnamon, if you’re a taste aficionado like I am).

  • Other than the occasional gifted item/Amazon impulse purchase, all of my jewelry is from Stella & Haas. It’s a Black-woman-owned business specializing in pieces that are the perfect blend of capsule-worthy and statement-making. You can exercise, shower, sleep, etc. in the pieces, and none of them will break the bank. I wear my “A” necklace every day, and I’ve been thinking of getting this one in “Y” for a full mismatched initial vibe.

  • As you heard in last week’s newsletter, I’m having a hyperfixation with this candle. Because I didn’t burn my first one evenly (reminder that you MUST burn your candles for at least a full 2-3 hours the first time you light them!), it tunneled, so there’s unused wax left over. I bought this candle warmer (which can actually also double as a coffee warmer) so the remaining wax can heat up and infiltrate my home. My Aunt Carol also found and sent me two of the candles, so I’ll be kept in rose-scented bliss for weeks to come!!!!

• Life: Finally, I’ve been thinking that this newsletter might be a good place to air my deepest secrets (exciting) and also to share the most humbling/embarrassing moments of my life. To begin, here’s one that keeps me up at night:

  • During the earliest weeks of my current job, when I was first meeting/getting to know my new coworkers, I was telling a story about a time I had my hair done for an event and it turned out HORRIBLY. One coworker was like “Oh I want to see pics, let me pull up your Instagram.” A few moments later, she held up her phone, a pic of my hair alit on the screen, and she said “Oh, was it this?” and I then had the distinct pleasure of saying, “Oh. No.” Cheers!

Have the best weekend ever!!

XO, Gail

Note: The aforementioned coworker is now my dear friend. When she reads this, she will Slack me and say, “Abigail! I’m SO sorry!” and I will thank her for the funny story and ask her to happy hour. All in jest, all in love!!!!

And as a reminder:

I know you don’t need me to tell you this… but it’s an election year, and it is my duty to remind you that while newsletters like this are crucial for maintaining sanity and levity, I am not a news source and am in no way a replacement for staying informed. For every newsletter you read that makes you smile or buy a candle, I hope you also read an informed take on politics, world events, and social issues (then fact-check it!) — and for every heavy piece of news you take in, I hope you also consume and/or create a piece of art that promotes light, laughter, and joy.

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If you liked this newsletter, please consider sharing it with a friend! I’m thrilled you made it this far, and I’m so thankful for your support. Happy Friday!