knuckle tattoos, John Baldessari, chopped liver, the BK bridge

12 things I've consumed + The Best Thing I Ate All Week

After exiting the club, The Stranger.

No questions, no answers.

🌝 12 THINGS I’VE CONSUMED

🌉 Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge

Ash & I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan this past weekend. We sweated our way past FiDi (stopping for breakfast at Conwell Coffee Hall, v. pretty) & along the Hudson River. We stopped at the Whitney to grab prints from Inciardi’s vending machine & then snacked on pastéis de nata from Joey Bats in Chelsea Market.

To reward our 20,000 step+ schlep, we cooled down with spritzes at St. Jardim. A very good day!

p.s. This is the most color Ashley has (& will ever) wear. Enjoy.

🍅 Tomato toast

A big slice of toasted sourdough, an extra smear of Kewpie, sea salt, tomato slices, & olive oil.

🌯 Ordering food to a bar

After getting kicked out of the ocean, because some sharks were hungry & browsing the food aisle of the Rockaway coastline, I went to Connolly’s for the Euro soccer final.

I ordered a California burrito via GrubHub, which was delivered straight to the bar. It complemented the Connolly’s signature frozen piña coladas nicely & I finally ~ found my beach ~ (My beach free of sharks or stingrays or UV rays.)

✋ This awesome door knocker

I spotted this door knocker in the West Village, which I think is really fun. The severed hand reminded me of a hamsa, which is a Middle Eastern symbol of happiness, health, & luck. Some people place these hands over doorways for protection.

I was first introduced to the symbol when I toured the Portuguese castle in Sintra. The castle’s design is heavily influenced by Moorish architecture, hence the hamsa adorning the palace entrance.

I’m looking for a hand: you got a guy?

👊👊 8 letter words for knuckle tattoos

What would yours be?

Mine would be:

thud, ouch (if I was a bare knuckle boxer)

woof woof (if I was Tim Allen from ‘The Shaggy Dog’)

asif nope (if I was hot, punk nihilist)

🔫 The ending of the Sopranos

Did he or did he not???

✍️ The Arizona Type Specimen

So sick.

For all of my typography dorks, this ‘five color, split-page, spiral-bound’ notebook showcases the font, Arizona. Arizona is the ‘first ever sans-to-serif Variable Font,’ which means that it’s a flexible typeface that can be adjusted quickly & cohesively for a project.

While there are now plenty of variable fonts available, I love how the type foundry, ABC Dinamo, designed this physical document to spotlight its versatility. To visualize a variable font toggle between serif/sans-serif, check out THIS VIDEO of a separate project.

🛋️ Couch slipcovers

I chew. I sip. I spill.

On my couch, this is an issue.

But thank god for slipcovers. Just take ‘em to the dry cleaner & your couch has been cleansed of wine, chocolate, & that other cryptic stain…

🤡 The Stranger on a Saturday night

REAL WEIRD.

🔒 Bathroom occupancy indicators

My greatest fear (besides heights & the wifi not working on a cross-country flight) is having someone walk in on me in the restroom. Why can’t every public restroom have an occupancy indicator? A low effort installation means that I won’t have someone intrude when I’m in my most vulnerable state.

⁉ “What am I, chopped liver!?”

My Mother’s favorite phrase.

🔤 John Baldessari - ‘A B C Art (Low Relief): A/Ant, Etc. (Keyboard)’

🐌 BENEE - Snail (Live) | Vevo DSCVR At Home

Been feeling like a snail recently tbh.

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🎁 3 GOODIES I WANT

🐴 anything from Samuel Zelig - $240+

Well, just about everything Samuel Zelig creates is insanely rad. Founded by duo Dylan Lubell & Jonathon Levite in 2020, the brand takes ‘inspiration from American workwear traditions, incorporating French & Japanese elements & fabrication’.

My favorite (sold out) product is their ‘Shadow Puppet Quarter-Zip’, which their website details is ‘inspired by 1/4 zip sweatshirts from the 30's-50's… the prints and embroideries are inspired by vintage victorian instructional books on shadow puppet making.’ Very cool.

Since the quarter-zip is sold out, I’ll happily opt for the rodeo shirt (top left) which will pair nicely with my sunburn & a Coors Light.

🥄 Sabre Lapis Rice Spoon - $36

I eat a lot of rice, yet I have heretofore no proper rice spoon. This lapis-hued spoon from Sabre is beautifully shaped & looks hefty enough to bop your sous chef on the head if they improperly cook the rice.

We have a tortoise-patterned Sabre cutlery set, & I think this blue would be an attractive contrast to the caramel/brown.

⚽️ Pantofola d'Oro Superstar Boots - $228

These soccer boots are gorgeous, rendered with top-quality leather & decades of Italian craftsmanship.

I’ve been brainstorming shoes to send to Samuel Falzone to replace the outsole for a one-of-a-kind pair, & I think this black/white upper is classy & chic. A white stripe streaks around the heel & a golden ‘SUPERSTAR’ is emblazoned within. When I’m feeling dejected, I can look down, strike a power pose, & yell ‘superstar’ a la Molly Shannon.

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🦪 THE BEST THING I ATE ALL WEEK

I love beans, so much so that my longstanding affection for refried pinto beans is a character trait. But I don’t discriminate: cannellini, garbanzo, butter, black, & Great Northern beans. I embrace them all.

Give me a stage & I can do a tight 15 on my favorite bean recipes.

This past week, Ashley made a new favorite bean dish from the New York Times. Their One-Pot White Beans With Prosciutto and Dates recipe is so simple & so rewarding. Fry some prosciutto in butter (decadent). Cook some dates & shallots in the leftover fat (I’m starting to feel something). Add the beans & stock into the pot & cook to your desired creaminess (break up beans to release starch/ build texture). Meanwhile, do a quick pickle (a quickle) with some celery & apple cider vinegar.

Serve in bowls & garnish with the celery. Finish The Sopranos, loosen the belt, & look over at Ash: “That was *burp* The Best Thing I Ate All Week.”

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🪤 THE FINAL WORD

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- jefe