Pillow talk, fexting, and a Middle-Eastern three-way
Welcome to A Few Good Mentions, a weekly (or so) toss-up of five random, share-worthy things I might come across, see, read, do, or eat in a given week. You can find me on Instagram, and my website, which I often update with latest published works. Ok, let’s go!
1.
I’m not a fan of the word ‘fexting,’ but I definitely practice the kind of conflict-fueled communication via texting described in this recent New York Times story. As a writer, it’s often easier to express myself with written words. In the past, many—probably including myself—would have deemed this “fighting for scaredy cats,” but if it makes for a lesser likelihood of pushed buttons and explosive shouting matches, I’m here for it. Fexting doesn’t always mean unfiltered arguments from a safe distance either. Sometimes I’ve felt more emboldened to communicate something via text that I normally wouldn’t say in person, while I’ve just as often refrained from writing something I might blurt out in a heated moment (it’s hard to backpedal on things when there’s an actual written record of the exchange).
2.
Meditating on design: Randomly enough, I first came across Resonate, a new VR “experience” incorporating a modern, minimalist-designed chair and ottoman, on Will.I.Am’s YouTube show. Then a design industry friend mentioned her interest in checking it out at Miami Design Week, where the brand officially announced its launch and forthcoming online store. The pieces themselves, which can be customized with a selection of fabrics and bases, are a pitch-perfect embodiment of form elegantly meeting its function. I would want them in my apartment, regardless, but their purpose—efficiently taking time-strapped meditators into a deep and tranquil state—is far too brilliant to overlook. In another bold stroke of function’s symbiosis with form, Resonate’s founder, Daniel Lennon (a former Navy Seal) worked closely with visual strategist Duncan MacDonald, whose work on site development across a spectrum of industries including fashion and luxury, hospitality and product design has made him a leader in his field.
3.
I’m not a mother, but I’ve been dubbing this latest addition to Tip Top’s mini canned cocktail empire, “Mother’s Little Helper.” So come. To. Mama.
4.
In the last two weeks, three very different Middle Eastern dining experiences have taught me that there is no oneness to the cuisine. It’s so regionalized—and across such a vast region—that to even try to define it in a sentence or two would be as reductive as declaring there’s only one style of barbecue in the south. From the same team behind next-door fixture Smith & Mills in Tribeca, Yves offers up a French-inflected spin on familiar Middle Eastern flavors, such as whipped goat cheese; roasted red peppers with thick labneh; and couscous accented with caramelized onions and dates. Then there’s chef Nasrin Rejali, whose soulful Iranian dips, herbaceous seafood, and savory-sweet pastries were unlike anything I’ve tasted before—truly. My friend Anna and I are still talking about the subtle and nutty tahini bread, which you can order on Rejali’s site. And then of course there’s Shukette, which I can’t seem to get enough of these days, mostly because the seasonal menu keeps changing. Do NOT sleep on those sweet potatoes cradling pillows of feta butter, studded with cacao nibs.
5.
Is head-butt one word or two? Some hilarious storytelling during an extremely fun dinner with my cousin a few weeks ago carried over to the next day’s text exchange, which resulted in one of us assuring the other: “I promise I will never head-butt you.” It’s the kind of randomly bizzare-o phrase I would love to see embroidered or stitched in needlepoint on a throw pillow. Depending on one’s level of ambition, you could certainly learn to craft your own, starting with two-hour online workshops through Threadwritten, or there’s also my favorite marketplace for micro-contractors and just about anything custom: Etsy. Here are two in particular, I recommend: OurHomeOurCastle, and LAxstitch for custom cross-stitch pieces.