NIGHT ADVENTURES

Hey there all you dark-as-night lipstick wearing, neon sign-loving, R&B enthusiasts. It’s me, your local early-as-possible bedtime going soft rocker queen. My aesthetic follows me much like how I leave the scent of sandalwood and vanilla in my wake. The other night I went out on an adventure with one of the loves of my life and, let me tell you, it was much needed. I’m still looking for that paid internship, and I’ve got less than ten days before I need to either be out of my apartment or have the summer lease signed.


Not stressful at all. (no, I still have yet to buy a plane ticket to my parents’ house)

In order to avoid all of my problems, I’ve decided to apply for as many opportunities as possible and hope that something works out. Haha. Soooo fun. Lucky for me I’ll get to stay in Houston a little longer than I would otherwise. Why is this, you ask?

I’M GOING TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR STOP HERE.

And, yes, I do have a bookish post about that too. Wow. Busy, busy.

Another thing that I’ve picked up to avoid all this wonderful, super unproductive stress is to start writing posts again! Yay!

That’s where this lovely little feature comes in. When I was out adventuring with Cait (LOML) I began thinking about how cute of a, article it would be to talk about the adventure and books and music to go along with it. THUS HERE WE ARE.

So where did we go? What did we do? How did I manage to get so many cute pictures of myself in such a short period of time? Well, my loves, I have alllll the answers for you! 

BOOMTOWN COFFEE

Okay, y'all. Here's the story: We were bored. I didn't want to do homework, and Cait finished finals a couple of days ago. I got the brilliant idea to go get some beignets (I still want some, but we'll get to that later) and some coffee. Cait had gone to Honeymoon in downtown before and LOVED it. It's open until 11. Parking is a nightmare so the metro we take. Sad for us, but there was a nEW SHOP IT IT'S PLACE. WITH NO DELIGHTFUL, POWDERED SUGAR COVERED PIECES OF HAPPINESS. 

Alas, we had happened upon Boomtown- which turned out to be a happy surprise. 

me looking cute with refreshments wow that lipstick it's fenty y'all

Cait got a vanilla latte (she was channelling a cute guy who walks into the coffee shop she works at) which looked equally delightful. 

After this snazzy little piece of paradise we went wandering, taking photos wherever we went. For the insta, you know? We have fans to keep at bay. The people want what the people want. 

Okay, I know what you're wondering. 

I can hear it now: "Jackie, please, grace us with your music and book recommendations to suit the aesthetic of a night like this." 

OF COURSE MY LOVELY FOLLOWERS. OF COOOOOURSE I'LL TELL YOU WONDERFUL THINGS. 

In the spirit of the concert in a few short weeks, y'all really need to hit up Lance Skiiiwalker. I'm obsessed with their music in a way that really and truly isn't heathy at this point. The crooning feels hypnotic is a super slooow and moody rainy night feeling-some-type-of-way way. I'm ten shades of in love and I hope you will be too. 

If you aren't, we may actually have some issues. Don't worry though! After some small mind tricks and magic spells, I'm sure I can get you on the dark side with us! Fear not, my love! 

From this album, I would most violently recommend Forbidden Fruit. Most. Violently.

OKAY THIS IS A BOOK BLOG SO ME TELLING YOU A BOOK TO READ IS ACTUALLY NECESSARY.

What should you read? Look no further than Her Body and Other Parties.

In Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado blithely demolishes the arbitrary borders between psychological realism and science fiction, comedy and horror, fantasy and fabulism. While her work has earned her comparisons to Karen Russell and Kelly Link, she has a voice that is all her own. In this electric and provocative debut, Machado bends genre to shape startling narratives that map the realities of women's lives and the violence visited upon their bodies.

A wife refuses her husband's entreaties to remove the green ribbon from around her neck. A woman recounts her sexual encounters as a plague slowly consumes humanity. A salesclerk in a mall makes a horrifying discovery within the seams of the store's prom dresses. One woman's surgery-induced weight loss results in an unwanted houseguest. And in the bravura novella Especially Heinous, Machado reimagines every episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a show we naively assumed had shown it all, generating a phantasmagoric police procedural full of doppelgangers, ghosts, and girls with bells for eyes.

Earthy and otherworldly, antic and sexy, queer and caustic, comic and deadly serious, Her Body and Other Parties swings from horrific violence to the most exquisite sentiment. In their explosive originality, these stories enlarge the possibilities of contemporary fiction.

Okay, my loves. That's all for now. Have a lovely rest of your night.