Let me cut to the chase and say that, to be honest, July wasn’t my favourite month. M was away for half of it, I was ill and missed all the 4th of July celebrations, and I had some personal frustrations to overcome. But in amongst all the ‘meh’ stuff, there were some brilliant occasions; we celebrated M’s birthday, I went paddle boarding twice, and we had friends and family visit over a couple of weekends, which was really lovely.
Just writing this post, I am reminded of so much good stuff, things that can sometimes be overshadowed but really shouldn’t be, hence why I try to record those moments here. So without further ado, here are some Little Things that made July for me…
Blogging about: If it’s ethical to wear slogan-centric feminist clothing, where I’m at with my reading goals for 2018, and the joy of analogue photography.
Watching: M’s return after a two week trip to Europe meant that we could finally crack on with season two of Queer Eye, which I loved, obviously. Film-wise, I dedicated the first half of the month to all four Jurassic Park films, in preparation for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which had a couple of great moments but was, on the whole, a little flat. Having said that, those CGI dinosaurs managed to bring a tear to my eye on more than one occasion, so that’s something. Other notable mentions include Tag (sweeter and funnier than I thought it would be), Leave No Trace (incredibly touching, and a fascinating subject matter), Hearts Beat Loud (Nick Offerman can do no wrong), Incredibles 2 (nostalgic-inducing) and Ant-Man and The Wasp (so funny until that post-credits scene rolled around). I also finished The Staircase and binge-watched Australian comedy, The Letdown, which I loved.
Making: An impromptu DIY brunch with some lady pals after we’d spent the morning paddle boarding in Sausalito. It was a truly lovely day, with everyone chipping in with homemade goodies, mimosas, and probably the most delicious cinnamon rolls ever.
Buying: This month I spent my dollars on getting some rolls of film from my Pentax K1000 developed. The rolls went as far back as July 2017 and as recently as a photo walk with my friend, L, earlier this month. We walked the Lands End trail and I finally got to see the stone labyrinth that I missed the last time I was there. It was a fun afternoon, not least because L and I ended up accidentally twinning in more ways than one.
Reading: The Vanity Fair Diaries by Tina Brown, Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao and I’m half way through How to Be Famous, by my journalistic/literary hero, Caitlin Moran.
Listening to: An audio project of my own making, which I’m SO excited about.
Wearing: My denim jacket – I’ve never owned one before but I’m smitten with the one I picked up in Zara a couple of months ago.
Eating: Lots of delicious meals out, including M’s birthday dinner at Padrecito, and taking our friends (who were only in town for two days) out for Mexican food at Velvet Cantina, breakfast at The Pork Store, and a food truck lunch at Picnic in the Presidio. No wonder my trousers are a little tighter now…
Enjoying: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back at the San Francisco Symphony. I’m not a huge Star Wars fan but to watch it with a live score was absolutely cracking. I also went to the launch party of a new feminist art collective in Oakland with my friend G, which was inspiring and enlightening in equal measure.
Looking forward to: A very chilled out August.