This + That

I’d love to kick off the week with a BIG thank you to everyone who responded to Friday’s survey. I read through the responses this morning, and your support and encouragement made me smile from ear-to-ear; you have no idea how much I appreciate you all taking the time to give me your feedback on what you’d like to see around here and for sharing such kind words. Through the survey, I learned the majority of you are longtime readers from A Pretty Penny days, and I think it’s pretty special that we’ve been together for so long. *group hug*

Now, to the things I bookmarked last week!

#motivationmonday

I loved this feature on The Stripe: ‘9 Women Who Inspired Me Share What They Love About Themselves‘. Yes! More of this community and confidence building on the Internet, please.

Alexa Chung launched a YouTube channel, and I’m very into it. I’m so inspired by her as a creative entrepreneur, style icon, and Patron Saint of Cool Girls, so I’m really interested in the behind-the-scenes peeks of her design business + her fresh takes on unfussy style and beauty. (Her ‘business look makeup tutorial’ won me over, and I would very much like to be her friend.)

This one is less motivation, more Thank-God-I-Survived-My-Awkward-Adolescence (and good for a giggle): the r/blunderyears subreddit is a treasure-trove of secondhand embarrassment/a glorious celebration of cringeworthy photos from redditors’ childhoods and teen years; think emo-Myspace profile pics and school portraits, and some truly incredible, uh, outfits. I read recently that kids these days won’t experience the ‘awkward phases’ of yore because they have YouTube tutorials and social media to help them hone their style and ‘aesthetic’ at an early age, and it just bummed me out.

Stuff to Try

I’ve already told you guys how much I love the Bon Appetit YouTube channel — seriously, it’s so good! — and whipping up a big bowl of Carla’s white pesto pasta is on my weekend to-do list.

GinsMakeup shared a ‘glass skin’ makeup tutorial that’s perfect for an everyday summer routine.

Books to Read

If you were a loyal viewer of the tv series, Nashville, or the VH1 classic, Behind the Music, you may enjoy Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, my Book of the Month pick from last month. I loved Reid’s last novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and although this one wasn’t nearly as riveting and satisfying of a read, I went through it pretty quickly and enjoyed the interview structure of the story, which chronicles the (fictional) history of one of the most beloved bands of the seventies and their untimely split at the height of their success. If you’re into stories about sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, put this one on your summer reading list.

A friend recently told me about Libby, a free app that gives you access to hundreds of e-books and audiobooks with your local public library card. You can link it to your Kindle, or listen to titles straight from your phone. You can also check out cookbooks, reference books, classic literature, non-fiction, language guides, self-help titles; it’s basically your local library at your fingertips!

Also, if you’re a fellow library nerd, you may enjoy The Library Book by Susan Orlean. I’m slowly working my way through the audiobook — I downloaded it when it was on Reese’s book club — and it’s an interesting deep-dive into the history of public libraries, centered around the unsolved mystery of the Los Angeles library fire of 1986 (the most catastrophic library fire in American history). She illuminates all the reasons why public libraries are vital to our communities, and the roots and services that extend way beyond the loaning of books.

A Fresh Podcast

For fans of the show Adam Ruins Everything on TruTV — a favorite in our house that’s like Myth Busters for social, economic, environmental and justice issues — the host, Adam Conover, just started an ‘investigative comedy’ podcast called Factually! that expands on the topics he tackles on the show, with the help of expert guests. The first episodes discuss the 2nd amendment and the challenges of modern transportation, and even if you don’t agree with some of Conover’s viewpoints, it never hurts to hear thoughtful discourse and learn about new perspectives.