The Curiosity Dispatch - #014

10 things I’ve consumed, discovered, bookmarked, lusted over, etc to expand your search terms, outlook, desires, personality, knowledge

Happy Sunday!

If you’re new here, welcome to “The Curiosity Dispatch” — a weekly round up of things I’ve consumed, discovered, bookmarked, etc etc. Developing a personal sense of self really comes from broadening your world and getting curious. Here are some things I’m getting into that might pique your interest.

Let’s dive in.

Some of you (approx. three of you lol) will be pleased to know the chaotic collages are back!

1. The Gentlemen on Netflix.

   

   Did it pass the Bechdel test? The fact I spent a portion of every episode waiting for it and then forgetting if it happened leads me to believe no?
   
   Does Guy Ritchie know how to write female characters? That remains up for debate. I have very little doubt the likability of Kaya Scodelario’s (Effy!! How I missed you!!) Susie Glass was thanks to her ability to breathe life into the character rather than how she was most likely originally written. I have beef with whoever did the costuming though - there were some truly questionable looks that took me straight out of the runs-a-weed-empire-badass fantasy.
   
   I consider my love for the gangster/action/adventure/James Bond/Jason Bourne-esque genre a guilty pleasure and this show was exactly that. Full of plot holes, but still delightfully entertaining. But maybe more importantly, as someone who consider themselves Mostly Gay™️ (the exception being Mike obvi + a just-shy-handful of celebrity men) I think this show might have officially put Theo James in the 5th spot. He’s been a strong contender since Sanditon though (iykyk.) Also, why aren’t we making him James Bond? I feel like this role should have solidified that he is Bond material.

2. Felice “Lizzie” Rix-Ueno

   

   

   I have been deep in an internet archive hole trying to find juuust the perfect wallpaper for our space. I want something that meets at the intersection of Art Deco and Midcentury, two of my favorite time periods of design but something I wasn’t really sure I was going to find the Goldilocks solution for.
   
   And then, perhaps kismet, a local interior designer I follow shared Rix-Ueno’s work. I’ll share her post (click through to read it all), rather than reword her biography, but needless to say, I instantly fell in love.

   ornament__ornament

   

   A post shared by @ornament__ornament

   Her work is so whimsically joyful and all encompassing! As it turns out, MAK Design Shop is reissuing some of her wallpaper for a limited time… I think I might just *add to cart.* I was also able to track down some books of her work, so if anyone wants to buy me a birthday present!!

3. Calla babouches

   

   
   I stumbled upon these while mindlessly scrolling through street style accounts on Instagram and was instantly captivated by their unusual charm.
   
   Designed by Paris based maker Calla Haynes, these over-the-top, Trash Panic friendly (made from upcycled Berber rugs!), one-of-a-kind shoes are distinctly unique and wildly fabulous.
   
   The real question is, which ones do I buy… I’m in an *add to cart* mood, if you can’t tell 🙃

4. Dr. Qin Huilan

   i_doctor_qin

   

   A post shared by @i_doctor_qin

   Speaking of charm, Dr. Qin Huilan is full of it and then some. Another new discovery from an evening scroll on Instagram (it’s not all bad, apparently!)
   
   Proof that having fun with clothes has no age limit and a scroll through her grid proves that she is constantly experimenting and reshaping the details, quirks, and signatures of her personal expression.
   
   She is a master class in silhouettes, color/pattern/textile mixing, and most of all, having fun!! I screenshotted so many of her looks to add to my inspiration folder and was instantly motivated to get a little weird with some of my outfit combinations as I go forward.

5. Tabi Dsgn Jewelry

   

   Jewelry is not something I’ve ever spent a lot of time, energy, or money on but the older I get the more I realize that it is something that instantly elevates my confidence, especially on days when I have zero motivation to get dressed.
   
   I was introduced to Tabi Dsgn through my friend Nora, who has a sharp sense of taste when it comes to distinctive design. The mix of gold and silver, the drippy silhouettes, and dreamy use of unique stones make all of Tabitha’s pieces feel extraordinarily otherworldy — something I enjoy when it comes to sparkly pretty jewelry.

6. “Already Great: On the Dead-End Optimism of Parks and Rec,” by Timothy Shenk for Dissent (published in 2019)

   

   I was ready to rage at this article when I saw Haley post in her “15 Things I Consumed This Week” a few weeks back because this! is! my! comfort! show! I will fight to the death anyone who dares to come at Leslie Knope!!
   
   But then I actually read the article and not only agreed with most of the critique on its 7 seasons, but for the first time truly learned the critical backstory around its birth in a time where we watched American politics begin to shift to where they are now. Parks and Rec is undoubtedly flawed, but there’s something about being a snarky, painfully realistic person that needs the levity of Leslie Knope to remind her that someone, somewhere is deeply optimistic about the future.

7. Nylon Magazine Spring/Summer 2024

   

   Print is back, baby! I went through a rollercoaster of emotions while reading this issue.
   
   So much heavy nostalgia for the afternoons where my sister and I curled up on my bed and poured over every single page in Nylon, dreaming up our futures and how cool we’d be. But then the reality of life now, the peak era of the internet and smart phones, crept in and reminded me that magazines will never have that sense of discovery like they once did. Which is something I didn’t really realize I missed until reading this issue. I want to read about the hole in the wall bar or vintage store that doesn’t have a website or Instagram to visit. Where you have to rip out the article and hang it on the fridge to remind yourself to check it out. But maybe that’s more just a nostalgia for what felt like a simpler time… either way, I’m happy magazines are having a comeback! I love physical media!

8. Pierce and Ward tissue box covers

   

   Could you make these yourself? 100%
   
   Could you also buy this one for $65 because it’s cute and life is short? 100%
   
   The tassel really makes these just so F-U-N.
   
   Also, what a wonderful hostess gift idea because tissue boxes are always printed in the most absolutely stressful color and pattern combinations!

9. Cracker Jack Charms

   

   This is one of those moments where I can’t tell if my algorithms is so predictable that every thought I have is somehow 3 steps behind what my feeds are feeding me, or if I just so happened to stumble upon this right as it found its way back into the zeitgeist.
   
   I was at the antique store with my mom a few months ago and she saw this bowl filled with old cracker jack charms and was filled with nostalgia (and a long winded story) about how she collected them when she was a kid. We then ended up down an eBay rabbit hole searching for lots of them and deciding how we should upcycle them but I haven’t actually done anything with them since buying some.
   
   And then I saw the new Bode x Nike collab which shows little cracker jack charms woven into the laces which is annoyingly genius and I’m mad at myself for not thinking of it first! But now I know what to do with my cracker jack charms! There are so many to discover on eBay and Etsy. Like these. And these.

10. Strange Overtones, David Byrne
    A perfect springtime jam to jam to. As I have been doing all week. And you should, too.

Until next time,
Xo,
G

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In case you missed it….

The Curiosity Dispatch - #010

The Curiosity Dispatch - #011

The Curiosity Dispatch - #012

The Curiosity Dispatch - #013

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