jukebox:

hiya folks! it’s been a sinus-y time for your girl, but a beautiful time. never ceases to amaze me how my body automatically slows this time of year, right when the dust is kicking up most. i hope you’re having a soothing, cozy, and/or frightening good time wherever you are.

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Latest treasures, hauls, lessons, experiments:

music

• White Bat Audio / Karl Casey - excellent atmospheric music for writing, for driving, for sitting out in the back yard; makes life seem as cinematic as it is. Plus, it’s royalty free so you can use it in any of your projects. Karl Casey is a treasure!
• Musiq Soulchild
• Stevie Nicks’ 24 Karat Gold tour (Roku channel)
• quiet storm radio
• In Dreams, by Roy Orbison

podcasts (I am woefully behind, but!)

some recent listens

• Vibe Check with Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones, and Zach Stafford (Stitcher Studios)
• Witch with Presenter India Rakusen (BBC Radio 4)
• A Funny Feeling with Betsy Sodaro and Marcy Jarreau (Headgum)
• Navigating Narcissism with Dr. Ramani Durvasula (iHeart & Red Table Podcasts)

my go-tos

• 5-4 with Peter, Michael, and Rhiannon (Prologue Projects)
• If Books Could Kill with Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri
• Maintenance Phase with Audrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes
• Noble Blood with Dana Schwartz (Grim & Mild)
• You Are Good with Alex Steed and Sarah Marshall
• You’re Wrong About with Sarah Marshall

my to-listens

• Contempt of Court with Elie Mystal (Nation Podcasts)

teevee

I’ve been on an unplanned Real Housewives hiatus which is nice because it a) freed me up to watch stuff long on my list or brand new stuff i couldn’t wait to see and b) it sets me up for a garishly rich return to the Bravoverse once I’m ready.

• Harley Quinn (MAX) - reminded me just how much I love, have loved, will love and relate to Poison Ivy. Love the reimagining of the rogues gallery, of Gordon’s madness (necessary madness to do what he does), and casting Bats in a better light as the problematic fave he is.

• Last Week Tonight (MAX) - As always, hilarious and terrifying. So glad it’s back; congratulations WGA!

• Loki season 2 (Disney+1)

• Our Flag Means Death season 2 (MAX) - one of my favorite shows ever, one of my favorite romcoms ever.

• Jersey Shore Family Vacation (MTV) - 📢 Sam’s back! 📢 The reboot is not better than the original by a long shot, but it has been seriously vivified by the return of the sweetest bitch you’ll ever meet. Requests: more Pauly, more Sitch getting called onto the carpet for his uncharming behavior, less wine-mom blandery (no offense gals, Auntie Kate just worries).

video games

so, I’m an avid Animal Crossing player (just waiting for the gamecube version to be released digitally on Switch someday), who’s been on a long sabbatical from the game. writing and life have intervened decisively; i know i’ll return to the island someday. in the meanwhile, I started Coffee Talk, billed as a visual novel by Toge Productions. Now this is a video game. the ultimate in smooth brain activities. you get to play the owner and sole barista of a coffee shop only open at night and listen to the sordid and romantic tales of your patrons of varying fantastical and intergalactic species. you are also a sassy dame.

reads

• The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold. September book club pick. This one was a breeze to read while somehow not sacrificing depth. Gerrold got in there! My favorite thing was the philosophical meditation on identity by way of a sci-fi time travel book. I wonder how this book may have deep background informed the Loki tv series.

• Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. Totally lived up to the hype for me! Austen had me giggling as she cut society to the bone. Looking forward to reading this again.

• Austenland by Shannon Hale. I watched the movie first and LOVED it, though I read that it was panned for not being more like the book? So I decided to read the book since it is so beloved to see what’s up. Then I got another book idea so this is also a research read. currently paused to catch up on book club picks.

• The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. A book club pick.2 I’m not normally a mystery gal but this one is perfect for the season and I truly have no idea where we’re going. It’s a lot of fun. Reminds me of Austenland and cosplaying but as a murder mystery escape room.

• This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno. October book club pick. Took me a second to get into it but I’m gripped now. There are lots of terrors running around.

Cosmeceuticals

folks, I love makeup. Love. Love it. Love love. Love putting it on. Love watching GRWM videos and product release videos etc. Love experimenting. If I could bring myself to show my face on the internet, I’d love to do my own videos, get-ready-with-Auntie-Kate-style. Makeup (and exponentially, skincare) is catharsis.

With that said, here are some recent purchases / good intel to share -

• The Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara (Black). My only le sigh is that I wish I could’ve gotten the Brown color.3 Other than that, this is a fabulous mascara. I love the flat wand—super precision and buildable with little to no clumping. It does lengthen and volumize, as advertised. Word to the wise - one tearjerking therapy sesh let me know that it is not waterproof.

• I ended up purchasing the e.l.f. lash n' roll brown mascara because I had to know. And! What a stunner. at a price you can afford. The brown is a subtle departure and a romantic one at that.

• NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush (in Orgasm). This blush. THIS BLUSH. Hooked. Amazing! Perfect blending for day / douyin looks. Thanks to my beloved friend who recommended this lovely product.

• The Donna Karan Cashmere Mist deodorant. Okay but the deodorant. Just Google “donna karan cashmere mist deodorant cult favorite” and yes, they are correct. This antiperspirant deodorant has been out for i dunno how many years, and according to Allure, one is sold every two minutes. Here’s Bustle with a writeup. This stuff is Thee Truth. Goes on easy, leaves NO TRACE on my clothes, and I can smell the lovely fragrance All. Day. All day! Even if I run! It was excellent in a recent, hot trip to the Bristol Renaissance Faire and kept me feeling fun and in the moment (albeit verrrry sweatily).

• r.e.m. beauty’s Lunar Magic Blurring Primer and Full Night's Sleep Cooling Blurring Undereye Balm. I’ve heard tell about the cult favorite blurring under eye balm and when I saw this set, I thought what a perfect way to test. I’m a longtime Glossier priming moisturizer gal, but I’m running low so I am in the market for an experiment. And let me tell you! Never had an undereye cream in my repertoire before but I sure do now! I adore how this balm feels on my skin. Feels like heaven on earth, which is precisely what our bodies deserve. In advance of heaven in heaven, of course.

(Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any brands or shops mentioned here. …
…
… what if someday I am invited to do beauty review goodness? !!! !!! Beautiful dreamer, indeed.)

otherwise,

i feel the pull of the kitchen where i shall be baking and baking and baking (and making the homemade pasta) soon (thank goodness for the pillow cloud house slippers);
i keep writing up the poems and the book and committing the ideas for even more stories and books i’ll get to I know not when but I remain optimistic;
i can still get away with some barefootedness out of doors, it’s not too cold yet. though the smartwools have reemerged into the wardrobe.

until next time, with lots of love,

💋Auntie Kate

p.s.

please please, if you have any recommendations on any makeup/art/culture/et cetera, grace us and share in the comments below. thank you + much love <3