-Group Text Confessionals

Hello, friends!

What are you eating and drinking to stay cool when going outside is like entering a furnace? As I type this, my fingers are buzzing from iced coffee and my fingertips are stained crimson from cherry consumption. It looks like my 4-year-old gave me a French manicure. Who knows? Maybe this’ll be the next TikTok beauty trend! Sunday’s offerings are below and stay cool out there.

Xo,
Toby

Note from Joy: This post was completed Thursday evening before the latest decision from the Supreme Court. We believe a human’s right to choose is fundamental. 

• Seema Pankhania is making the national dish from every country, and it’s way easier to watch her videos than deal with flight delays. (TikTok)

• Aubrey Hirsch wrote a powerful, gut-wrenching essay on being a victim of gun violence in America that will stick with you for a while. As it should. (The Audacity)

• What happens when you casually mention in the group text that you had a sex dream featuring Jeff Goldblum? Everyone will lol and you’ll all agree that he definitely has a foot fetish. Then, four months will go by and this will arrive in your mailbox. Thank you, Ruby! (Amazon

• Erotic cookbooks are a thing? Very much apparently. (Eater)

• I never knew an obituary could make me smile. Your heart will go out to Caity Weaver. (Twitter)

• I’m going to New York next month to catch up with friends + be a human without three children attached to her (!!!!) and must know: What are the most comfortable walking shoes you’ve ever worn? I’ve had my eye on these. (Zappos)

• If I had to put my money on one alpha male podcast, it’d be the pop culture pod How Long Gone. The hosts remind me of the dudes I hung out with in college but lost touch with, and they have great chemistry together. (How Long Gone)

• Joy’s herby egg salad on English muffins was a hit in our house. To cut down on time, I skipped the pickled onions and put diced onions on top for an extra crunch. (Joy the Baker)

• If you could pick one celebrity bestie, who would it be? Here’s mine. (Hollywood Reporter)

• What are you watching these days? Never thought I’d say this, but I could actually use a new show. The Bear looks intriguing. (Hulu/FX)

• In the meantime, fellow romantics will love Cousins, a 1989 film in which Ted Danson falls for Isabella Rossellini’s irresistible gene pool during a dreamy Vancouver summer. (Amazon)

• “Chili’s Baby Back Ribs” behind-the-scenes recording session from 1998. Amazing. (Twitter)

• Admittedly, I didn’t have my act together to participate in Jamie Attenberg’s writing challenge, but I did like reading the daily installments. Alex Chee’s guest post was one of my faves. (1000 Words of Summer)

• Take a look at Annie Flanagan’s photos of beautiful, brave kids in The Pain and Pride of a Generation Changing How America Sees Gender. (Time)

• Lauren Groff breaks down the history and hypocrisy of beach resorts, suggesting her family instead take “a staycation where we all read books in separate rooms.” Co-sign. (The Atlantic)

• Is there anything more vital to our collective wellbeing this summer than Beyoncé dropping her new album? Her new single will have to tide us over until July. (Tidal)

• Three Black women couldn’t find a place where their families felt safe. So they bought a town. Jewel Wicker reports in her excellent article, “The Road to Turning 500 Acres Into a Black City” (Capital B News)

• This video of tella singing her song, “Nomad” on a Greek fishing boat sailing the Aegean Sea is extremely soothing.  (YouTube)

Happy Sunday!

Toby