June busted out all over the place this year and flew by in such a whirlwind that we can’t quite believe it’s almost gone. We’ve been busy bees this month: We both went home for the weekend (on separate occasions), we both saw the Dixie Chicks (once together, Zelda twice), we saw some great theatre (Waitress for Scout and A Long Day’s Journey Into Night for Zelda), and we somehow managed to fit in work, laundry, food, sleep, blogging, and a social life in between. The whole city seems to hum with a new energy when the days get longer and the air gets balmier, everyone rushing outside to soak up as much sunshine as possible before the inevitable winter returns. It’s fun, and it’s exciting, but it’s often thoroughly exhausting as well. We’re doing our best to balance it all: work and play, friends and fun, adventures in this great, wide city and time to recharge in our cozy beds. June gave us ice cream and laughter and freckles on our shoulders. We can’t wait to see what July has in store.
What We’re Doing: We’ve clearly had summer on the brain this month. Zelda made a list of essentials for one of her favorite warm-weather activities: the picnic. Scout did a little daydreaming about how some of our favorite iconic Southern ladies might take on this, the summer of 2016, in New York City, and she shared some tips for de-stressing and de-compressing when the social whirlwind that seems to accompany the longer daylight hours gets you down. It was also a musical month, from our Tony’s Study Guide playlist to Zelda’s essay about going home, physically and emotionally, for a Dixie Chicks concert on the banks of the Ohio River. And we topped it all off with some Hot Fudge Bourbon Milkshakes (which we both ate and drank), and a little inspiration to soothe our souls after this month of heartbreak and loss on so many fronts around the world.
What We’re Listening To: We started off this month with a guide to this year’s HamilTony Awards. There were a bunch of great shows and great performers treading the Broadway boards this season, so make sure you give our sampler a listen! And if you’re in the area, catch some of these limited-run productions before they’re gone (sadly, for some, it may already be too late)! And just get in line with Zelda for Hamilton tickets. It’s gonna run for a good long time, don’t you worry.
We also love: Thanks to great friends of the blog Jason and Sarah, Scout has been on a McElroy Brothers kick. She’s spent most of this month listening to their family of podcasts, especially MBMBaM (for comedy and dubious advice), Sawbones (on the past misguided medicine of the human race), and Schmanners (for all your etiquette needs). Zelda meanwhile has been jamming out to new albums/singles/EPs from some of her all-time favorite bands: The Avett Brothers, The Head and the Heart, and Mumford and Sons.
What We’re Watching: Zelda has officially been indoctrinated into the cult of Australian lady detective Miss Phryne Fisher, with a full-on binge of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Essie Davis stars as the titular character who does not let her adventurous lifestyle get in the way of her fashion or feminism. Seriously though, we love a strong independent lady in 1920’s clothing. This show is a fun Australian vacation from a lot of the intensity of American crime shows, a throw-back to good old-fashioned Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries.
We also love: This look at The Avett Brother’s song-writing process. This NPR Tiny Desk concert by Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop. And this video of Grace Helbig doing one of her classic red carpet fashion reviews, Tony’s style (why yes that was a pun, thank you for noticing!).
What We’re Reading: This inside look at how The New York Times tackled the late-night passing of our own hometown hero, Muhammad Ali (and a pretty good look at Zelda’s average worknight, although they aren’t always quite this crazy). This in-depth exploration of one of the great questions of our time: What does one eat while climbing Mount Everest? (Bon Appetit) This delicious little piece, in which Jason Adam Katzenstein renames famous novels as if they were Friends episodes (The New Yorker). This article about content creation, the online space, and why the mainstream media should stop discounting Team Internet (Variety). This beautiful essay about the heady romance of pure, passionate friendships forged at the age of 22, which may not last but are no less important for it (BuzzFeed). And this poignant ode to “Latin night at the queer club,” a safe haven for so many souls, written in the wake of the tragedy in Orlando (Washington Post).
What We’re Eating: Dearly beloved, we suffered a great loss this month. A guiding post in our lives, witness to so many important moments and milestones, has fallen from our midst, disappearing into the ether of hotspots gone by. We’re talking, of course, about Fritzl’s Lunch Box — beloved Bushwick watering hole and long-time staple of our lives. This place has fed our stomachs and our souls, filling us with burgers and fried chicken and johnny cakes and playing host to surprise visits from old friends, celebrations of new employment, and many a Z&S brainstorming session. We journeyed there together last Saturday for one final brunch, a wake of a meal in which we toasted all the happy times we spent within its walls (or in its backyard). RIP, Fritzl’s. You will be missed.
What We’re Drinking: This month, we cooked up some incredibly tasty bourbon milkshakes with homemade whipped cream and hot fudge, the perfect drink for a hot day on the roof. We celebrated friend-of-the-blog Casey’s last week at our favorite watering hold, The Sampler, with many drinks and copious arepas from nearby Guacuco. And Scout went on a bar crawl in Park Slope, and discovered that there one can find a Kentucky bar called Commonwealth, which we will have to spend more time at!
What’s On Our Wishlist: We’re both trying to get tickets to the Broadway shows closing in the next month (sadly, there are many). At the top of our list? Shuffle Along: Or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. Scout’s looking to pick up this tote from her favorite poet/rapper/Nightvale-weather Dessa; also, with summer upon us, she’s looking to update her Chacos, since the one’s she got for camp twelve years ago have officially seen better days. And Zelda has her eye on some summer additions to her kitchen arsenal: popsicle molds, an ice cream maker, and this gorgeous copper (swoon!) french press, the better to make iced coffee in.
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Zelda & Scout 