Elva Fields Blog » latest loves
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Latest Loves
A few things I'm loving lately:
1. Our latest Spotify playlist is inspired by the handful of live shows we've had the joy of attending in the last month or so, including the Indigo Girls, Tyler Childers, and The Head and the Heart. (And there are a few new-to-us favorites mixed in, too.)
2. I'm nearly halfway through a year of The Flower Letters, one of the most unique and fun gifts I've ever been given. Every couple of weeks, I receive a letter and accompanying printed materials in the mail that reveal a bit more of a charming love story that unfolds throughout the course of 24 letters. It's a joy to receive mail (that isn't a bill!) to slowly absorb a playful narrative, and to learn more about a particular time and place - in this case, Regency England.
3. Roomy, just the right amount of warmth for these early autumn temps, and a very reasonable price for classic style, this is my favorite find for fall so far.
4. Between its balance of bitter and tang, its beautiful color, and its alcohol-free appeal, I find myself often re-stocking the Phony Negroni for weeknight sipping.
5. Sally Mann and I both attended Hollins College (now University) in Roanoke, Virginia, (though years apart) and I studied her photography as an Art History major there, admiring her incredible, engaging work displayed on the walls of our small art gallery outside the art lecture hall. Though I'd been given her memoir Hold Still years ago, I didn't pick it up until late this summer, and the timing was fortuitous: her follow-up book, Art Work: On the Creative Life, was published just last month. The stories she tells about her family of origin, her children, her husband's family, and her path as a thoughtful, curious, searching artist reminded me - among many other things - that some artists are given many gifts and talents; that the artistic pursuit can infuse so many facets of our lives. Sally Mann is a remarkable photographer AND a spectacular writer. A storyteller in all craft, and I can't wait to read her next musings.
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Latest Loves
A few things I'm loving lately:
1. Though my fingers are crossed I won't be needing to wear it much longer this year (we're ready for you, Spring!) I've been staying warm in my new winter coat from Costco. Lightweight and just roomy enough for heavy sweaters and extra layers, it was less than $20.
2. Perpetually late to the party, I didn't catch on to this beautiful gem of a show until its third season, but I am a quick and total convert. Healing, hope, humor, authentic portrayals of the awkward, figuring-it-out-ness of adulthood, the joys and struggles of real and intimate friendships - this is truly one of the most wonderful shows created.
3. Mind-blowing and expanding in the very best of ways, this podcast offers a beautiful and profound perspective on how much we can learn about our world and beyond from a population often deemed incapable of communicating: non-speakers with autism.
4. The latest Spotify playlist from Elva Fields includes some old favorites from my college years (thanks to a recent reunion 25 years after our graduation!) and some new songs I've only recently discovered. The Samples take me back to a summer spent in Colorado in the late 90s and Freddy Jones Band is straight from nearly every weekend road trip we took to see the boys "up the road" from Hollins, while the Lucy Dacus song is a new find from my local public radio station - so much love for 91.9 WFPK. Enjoy!
5. Lest you think the reunion weekend was a wild party, I will share that there was needlepointing, pickleball, soup and sourdough making, and an endless game of Rummikub on the coffee table. I'd never played, and now I can't get enough. (Thanks to my thoughtful mom for my new set!)
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Latest Loves
A few things I'm loving lately:
1. New music from local favorite Ben Sollee, new-to-me awesomeness from a Scottish band that formed in the 90s, a hint of 90s country, and even some RHCP after catching them live this summer with my favorite 15-year-old - just a few of the gems on our latest Spotify playlist to close out summer and get you prepped for fall fun. (Playlist image courtesy of the incredible carpet at The Graduate Hotel in Nashville.)
2. Thanks to my new pal Perry, my skin is Sahara-like and needing a new, more moisturizing makeup option. I'm trying out the Miracle Balm from Bobbi Brown's venture Jones Road Beauty and digging it so far. (And word on the street is that the sold-separately brush is essential for application, so I snagged that, too.)
3. Joyfully washing my hands because of this spectacular soap scent and now coveting the spray cleaner, too.
4. I'm not a baker, so you know a recipe is easy when I'm willing to take it on AND produce delicious results. I gave this cookbook to my favorite 13-year-old who LOVES to create in the kitchen, and I tried my hand at these addictive treats that combine sweet and savory in an unexpected, delicious way.
5. Though I'm not yet finished with this book, I am thoroughly enjoying the vibrant and hilarious women in this book as they bond over business loans, complicated marriages, and even murder in their small Indian village.
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Latest Loves
A few things I'm loving lately:
1. Saving space in your toiletry bag and sailing right through TSA in a carry-on are two fantastic reasons to love this shampoo bar, but the fact that its scent is delightful and that it doubles as a body wash are two more checks on the love list. It's joined me on two week-long trips, and mine still has lots of life left. (Thanks, mom, for such a great Christmas gift!)
2. An account I follow on Instagram (I cannot for the life of me remember who posted this!) just referenced this brilliant blog post about saving kids artwork, and I can't wait to document my overflowing backlog of kiddo creations from their grade-school years. And, let's be honest, my teenagers are still making things with which I have trouble (and guilt) parting, so I may have multiple volumes on order for each of my children.
3. Our latest Spotify playlist, complete with a new favorite from Waxahatchee and an old favorite from Mary Chapin Carpenter...and a few more tunes to welcome springtime.
4. I've never read anything quite like North Woods by Daniel Mason, and it is wholly different in the very best of ways; the writing and story are inventive, curious, stunningly clever, and entirely fascinating. Layers of life and history and time and place pulled me in from the start, and I hated to see it end, though I've taken it along with me ever since.
5. On a recent trip to the Caribbean, I had the absolute pleasure of a food tour in Antigua's capital city, St. John's. Everything we tasted was delicious and everyone we met was delightful, and a highlight (in addition to our wonderful guide Tracy Anne) was learning to make an Old Fashioned Rum Punch. Not the bright pink syrupy confection with grenadine and pineapple juice you may be thinking of - this was the OG of rum punches that is full of rich flavor from spices and fresh citrus. This blog post I found shares a recipe that is VERY close to the one we learned in class - and we added some mint and a twist of lemon peel for garnish. Might be my new warm-weather cocktail. -
Latest Loves
A few things I'm loving lately:
1. After I saw the beautiful creations Joy Cho of Oh Joy! crafted with this marbling kit, I knew it would be a fun and colorful project for my favorite middle-schooler. (She may be too cool for many things these days, but thankfully not for making art with her mom.) I have so many ideas for our next attempt, and this first try at marbling was a hit. (And there are plenty of materials in the kit for future trials!)
2. Tig Notaro has been a favorite of mine since her Taylor Dane bit (I still cry laughing every time) and her new podcast, Handsome, with Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin brings so much laughter and joy to my Tuesdays.
3. Speaking of crying (though not crying laughing), that's what I was doing by the end of this beautiful (as the title would suggest) book. In the best way. I love a story of family dynamics, humans making their way among the broken bits of life, and eventually creating and finding their own wholeness.
4. I'm so excited to finally have some wearable Elva Fields merch, and especially in honor of our 20th birthday last month! It's my new favorite hat, and you can have one, too!
5. Delicious on its own or with bourbon, my most-loved of Modica's superfood goodness in a bottle is the Tart Cherry Old Fashioned (and I don't typically care much for cherry, but this is really great.) Cheers!