Open tabs: April edition
Clicking my way to sanity ...
Hi … it’s been a rough week in the US, so I’m just going to get to it. I started compiling this list a few weeks ago, and offer it in the spirit of friendship. Hope you’re taking care of yourself.
Interior Design
Eleanor Cording-Booth on middle-malism being a valid design philosophy (House & Garden)
This hand-embellished illustrations in this Swedish home. I love a tiled Swedish stove (NYT, gift link)
A tv show I enjoyed recently was The Residence on Netflix, a murder mystery/comedy set in the White House. The Wes Anderson-esque cinematography and dollhouse interiors were so much fun.
I find the BTS on tv food design so fascinating. For Severance’s second season, here’s some more info on the work parties, as well as a particularly menacing plate (NYT, gift link)
Ironing cloth napkins turns into a rumination on therapeutic leisure (Rajiv Surendra, YouTube)
Fashion
I am into the layering of this all-black outfit (Cecilie Bahnsen)
Why everything in fashion is seemingly labeled a recession indicator :( (Vogue Business)
Related, how tariffs may impact clothing purchases (The Cut)
The return of niche fashion magazines. I mentioned a couple of faves in this post, but it’s always great to discover new-to-me titles like L’Etiquette or Unconditional. Support your local bookstore or magazine newsstand! (NYT, gift link)
Anti-intellectualism in prep fashion (The Dressing Room)
Culture
Tatsuya Tanaka’s miniature scenes. I love the keyboard sushi bar. (My Modern Met)
Another tv show I’ve enjoyed recently: The Studio on Apple, where Seth Rogen plays a Hollywood studio head who’s tasked with getting a director for The Kool-Aid movie. 1970s cinematography and tons of famous cameos.
As I mentioned in my last roundup, it looks like another Lorde album actually is imminent (Billboard)
Two people climbed the famous El Dorado building on the Upper West Side. This is insane behavior! (Curbed)
I thought Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s “Hot Ones” interview is exactly how my husband and I would react. I’m the Selena in this situation, and would probably be retching by the end (Hot Ones, YouTube)
A narcissism expert’s take on The White Lotus S3 finale. Almost every character has some level of narcissism so there’s a lot of ground to cover here. (Dr. Ramani, YouTube)
Interviews with fired US federal employees. We’re losing so much talent, heart, and institutional knowledge. (Defector)
No Doubt was a big part of my childhood – all the older girls I looked up to would jam to “Don’t Speak” and “Just a Girl.” So Gwen Stefani’s right-wing turn has been pretty disappointing. As an Asian-American woman, I appreciated this deep-dive into her career and especially the reevaluation of her Harajuku Lovers era, which always felt extremely sus. (Matt Bernstein podcast, YouTube)
Ellen Pompeo didn’t want to say the infamous “pick me” line on Grey’s Anatomy. “Why would I beg?” (People)
Keep moving. “If there are to be brighter days ahead—and I believe there will be—it won’t be because of some mysterious or magical power, but because we planted the seeds to bring those days about.” (Everything Changes blog)
Reading
I finally finished Office Politics by Wilfrid Sheed about a writing staff’s power plays at a 1960s literary magazine. Maybe because of my journalism degree (lol), I love a good book set in the publishing world (re: Yellowface, The Other Black Girl, Disorientation).
I’m currently working on Butter by Asako Yuzuki, about a journalist who becomes obsessed with the recipe blog of a female gourmet chef/serial killer who enticed her male victims with home cooking. It’d be like if Clarice Starling found Hannibal Lecter’s Substack about Chianti and fava beans …
One of my favorite authors, Hiromi Kawakami, was just shortlisted for The Booker Prize for Under the Eye of the Big Bird. Can’t wait to dive into this soon. I really loved Strange Weather in Tokyo and Record of a Night too Brief.
Finally — it’s getting warmer here in NYC, but it’s rainy. I liked this outfit I wore to see The Picture of Dorian Gray on Broadway — cheery pinks on a rainy day! (not pictured: my red leather gloves). Raincoat and purse are vintage, and the scarf is from Japan. Oh, and I thought Sarah Snook’s performance was fantastic!
