november ins and outs

hello.

november is one of my favorite months of the year. it often gets brushed under the rug after halloween due to the rush and excitement of christmas. and don’t get me wrong, christmas is unrivaled, but so is thanksgiving, and so is the dark, moody, (and comforting) picturesque scenes of november.

if the eldest daughter was a month, she would be november- often forgotten, but left picking up the pieces from halloween and responsible for setting up a solid foundation and plan for the success of christmas and thanksgiving. she’s in charge of the biggest food holiday of the year which requires a thoughtful and strategic game plan- not just for the food, but also managing potential chaos that ensues at the dinner table between your uncle on the far right, and your cool aunt from your moms side on the far left. november and january could be sisters- best friends, perhaps. november and january- unloved by most, but adored by me.

november feels like black coffee and foggy mornings, english muffins with salted butter and blackberry jam, espresso colored overcoats, reading at the library until the late evening, dark and stormy nights, phantom thread, lavender earl grey shortbread, listening to classic music while reading dostoevsky, pomegranates, pumpkin pie with freshly whipped cream, long walks in the rain, the sound of your favorite coffee shop with jazz music playing in the background.  

november ins and outs

november ins:

-bed rotting when the sun goes down at 5pm: oh, how i love to rot and wallow

-making stew (veg option): other soup option. channel your inner strega nonna and indulge in the art of slow simmering bubbling soup waiting to be devoured when the sun sets and it’s freezing cold outside.

-reading (drowning yourself in rich literature): i swear to you, this is the month to engulf rich complex analytical literature. read some complicated shit. read books that take time and demand your attention. devour literary experiences that will force you to think and potentially change your life.

-neck kisses and non sexual forms of intimacy: maybe i’m a borderline asexual. but there’s something so intimate and sensual about non sexual forms of intimacy.

-black coffee on foggy morning: i’m not talking about nespresso coffee (still decent). i mean, get a moka pot or chemex, go to your favorite coffee shop and buy their beans, and make a pour over at home. i’m insufferable and don’t drink coffee with milk or sugar unless it’s for a specific occasion or if i’m craving a cappuccino. just try it.

-candle lit rooms: fuck lights. get some unscented tapered candles and thrift candle sticks. illuminate your space with natural light.

-long trips to the library and staying until the late evening: late night library sessions hit differently- whether you’re studying or reading, put on a moody playlist and lock in. bonus points if it’s raining.

-pomegranates: dripping, messy, blood-tinted beautiful fruit begging to be eaten this month

-london fog tea with lavender shortbread: earl grey with milk is the perfect sunday morning treat. lavender shortbread is the perfect companion.

-doc martens and black tights: this is the uniform between now and february. (unless you’re me, and you live in black all year long).  

-friendsgiving (sometimes this > traditional thanksgiving): sometimes your friends are your family. sometimes that’s better.

-phantom thread  (this is a winter film but i can’t wait any longer)

-eating thanksgiving adjacent food all month long: don’t overdo it of course, by why save thanksgiving flavors for only one day out of the whole year? you don’t need a full-course thanksgiving meal, but a side of mashed potatoes with gravy every once and a while, or piece of costco pumpkin pie with freshly whipped cream slaps hard.  

-listening to classical music while reading dostoevsky: a frequent practice for me. an attempt to influence you to do the same.

-being gay: <3

-eating pumpkin pie: you don’t need to bake it from scratch. as mentioned before, costco makes great pumpkin pie. definitely recommend making the whip from scratch, though.

-dark and stormy nights: i wish for this weather every day. i think i have reverse seasonal depression disorder 

-everything but the stuffing seasoning from trader joes: this and their stuffing popcorn is ridiculously delicious.

-grouper: if there were a soundtrack to novemeber, this would be it. (obviously classical music, too. and jazz.) but grouper… ugh.

-turtleneck sweaters; i want to be swaddled in turtleneck sweaters.

-cookies and milk before bed: nightly routine essentials.

-reading philosophy: again, now is the time to devour this type of literature. maybe this will be the gateway drug for you to become manic and insufferably obsessed with philosophical literature.

-nighty pinterest and music enrichment time: this never ends, right?

-thanksgiving sides: i don’t like turkey. there, i said it.

november outs:

-day light savings: but, i like it… low key.

-overconsumption: sometimes i want to write a letter calling out all the stupid shit influencers have guilt tripped me into buying on social media and why none of it was worth it. especially from fragrance influencers and wellness girlies. like, no shade, (all the shade) but god i feel stupid for falling for the trap.

-sunny days: clouds, clouds, stormy nights, rain, fog, freezing cold weather, snow, come here. stay awhile.

-iced coffee: i fear i’ll get a lot of hate for this one.

-being overstimulated :(

-boo baskets and other forms of excessive holiday consumerism: ugh… where do i begin with this one…

-dry turkey: i don’t want turkey on my thanksgiving plate.

-political arguments at the thanksgiving table: sometimes (most times) i want to tell some of my family member to respectfully shut the fuck up.

-people who don’t like pie: please, please explain yourself.

okay that’s all for today.

if you’re not ready to become a paid subscriber and you have the capacity to leave a tip, that would be so appreciated. 

i love you.

bye.

(follow ig, tiktok, pinterest and spotify for more)