Sorry this is a couple of days late, it’s been a big week in our house as Jack turned one on wednesday! I’m going to do a blog post later this week on the birthday traditions I have started to implement for the boys, but for now here’s what i’ve been listening to and watching this week:
Watching: Normal People on iPlayer: I hadn’t read the book by Sally Rooney but had seen so many people recommend this series on Instagram that I thought i’d give it a go. Well by the end of episode one I was totally hooked and carried on watching another four that evening (I went to bed at 1am and Jack decided to wake up at 1.15am, big mistake on my part) anyway I spent the rest of the weekend thinking about it and watching the remaining 7 episodes (There are 12 halh hour episodes). It was amazing, perfectly capturing how your first love never leaves you, beautifully shot and the lead characters Marianne and Connell were portrayed beautifully by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal. I’m since obsessed with the story, Marianne’s wardrobe and the soundtrack. Perfect in every way.
Podcast: Second Life with Gucci Westman: I’ve been listening to this podcast for a while by Hillary Kerr, co-founder of Who, What, Wear, a website I’ve been reading since I was a fashion intern in my early twenties. Kerr interviews people that have been successful in their careers but then moved on to do something different later in life. As someone who is in a bit of an in-between stage of my career since having children, I’m finding it really useful listening to other women’s journeys. I particularly like this episode as I used to see Gucci work her make-up magic backstage when I did coverage at London Fashion Week.
Watching: Becoming with Michelle Obama on Netflix: I was a big fan of Michelle Obama’s memoir so was excited to see that Netflix were releasing a documentary style film about it. It follows Obama as she does book tours and stage shows where she’s interviewed about the book to stadium style crowds. It was fascinating to get more of an insight into the life of one of the most famous women in the world, whose husband we all wish was still in the White House.
Listening: Connell’s Playlist: I told you I was obsessed with the music from Normal Lives, and when I saw that BBC Sounds had released a ‘Marianne’s Playlist’ and a ‘Connell’s Playlist’ I was straight onto Spotify to download them. There’s some beautiful classics in there like ‘So Long, Marianne’ by Leonard Cohen and more folky tunes like ‘Fireworks’ by First Aid Kit. It’s certainly making doing household chores a bit easier.
Reading: BBC Good Food Magazine: I’ve had a subscription to Good Food for a few years now, but am finding while we’re all staying at home I’ve got even more into cooking and baking, probably because I have a bit more time. This months issue is packed with tips for recipes using store cupboard ingredients while everyone is trying to avoid going to the shops. I attempted a Sourdough starter from this issue but it did not succeed, so that’s something I’m determined to master by the end of lockdown.
