A Bouquet of Newly Sharpened Pencils

“Don’t you love New York in fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would buy you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils, if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.” – You’ve Got Mail

I am deciding it’s fall. I am over this summer and I’m declaring it fall, which means it’s time to watch You’ve Got Mail and Gilmore Girls. Break out your cozy sweaters, order Chinese take out, and brew several cups of tea that are too hot to drink (and you forget it then it’s too cold). You know what I think? August is the middle child of the year. Everything in August is on its own terms, doing its own thing – the month never goes the way I plan it. Anyway, all that to say, I am taking it slow these August Sunday’s, and I hope you get to, too.

• I don’t care how old I get, if it’s August I’m buying school supplies. If you need any pointers, Team Joy the Baker’s favorites for back-to-school is a good reference, or Amy’s post a couple weeks ago has basically all my favorite writing utensils ever. (Joy the Baker)

• Maybe back-to-school shopping is not in the works, but at least make Everybody’s After School Cookies. Make sure to have a large glass of whatever dairy or non-dairy beverage you love on hand! (Joy the Baker)

• Friends, thank you so much for the book recommendations! I am picking up The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin, and I’m (checks the Libby app) 8,473rd in line for Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros at the library. Fingers crossed I read it before 2029! (Bookshop.org)

• Bless it all, cardigans are back in style! My college days were spent in cardigans, gaucho pants, and flats – that outfit *really* held the non-denominational Christian church and refused to let go. Now, I love this entire outfit, it feels very 2012 to me without the iconic long accent scarf. And, oddly enough, Abercrombie has made a comeback with absolutely stellar denim. Their sizing goes to up to 24 and ranges from extra short to extra long. A miracle. These jeans are next on my to-buy list. (J.Crew)

• Have you ever danced to the Cha-Cha Slide at, I don’t know, any public event ever? You can thank DJ Casper and the Southside of Chicago for that. I will pour one out for him the next time I hear it. (NPR)

• If you’re alive and have ears you’ve probably heard about the lawsuit against Lizzo and her production team. What do you think about it? It’s kind of overwhelming, isn’t it? It feels like a lot of people genuinely disliked Lizzo for being a vocal fat Black woman, and jumped on the hate bandwagon because of it. It is hard to explain the vitriol spewed when you are not only a Black woman, but a fat Black woman (and don’t be queer or trans cuz that spike in hate is DRASTIC). It’s like people are offended you exist, to put it in the simplest terms. So with this lawsuit I wanted to do research, and share it. I am unsure where I stand, but I always default to believing survivors. (Vulture)

• Sinead O’Connor was ahead of her time, which I feel like the world’s way of saying she wasn’t understood by many. Every recount of her personality (including this piece) has been that she was an incredible person, and especially beloved by her home country of Ireland. May her memory forever be a blessing. (NYT Gift Link)

• I’m modeling my look for Beyoncé after this iconic serve. (Instagram)