Fluff Stuff Friday #57: First Cozy Autumn Soup Edition
π Seasonal living recap & recs for your weekend.
Welcome to the Seasonalist, a happy place to land, where youβll find all things seasonal and seasonal-adjacent (books, movies, food, and fun) from Austin, Texas. If youβd like to subscribe, click below.
βI would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.ββHenry David Thoreau
Welcome to the Friday Fluff Stuff, fellow Seasonalists!
Each week I recap how I lived seasonally the week before, otherwise, what is the point of all this? I guarantee that living seasonally will change your life for the betterβor your money back! 9 out of 10 dentists agree. I digress.
When you live seasonally, youβre getting stuff on your calendar, youβre trying new things, and youβre getting hits of dopamine. You are mastering the art of joyful anticipation. Try it, youβll like it.
As you can see in the pic aboveβI went to a Christmas-themed bar with friends (as you do in September), had a pumpkin spice latte at a local coffee shop (and my favorite barista comped me the drink cuz weβre friends nowβdonβt worry I left a huge tip), I pulled out my ancient Dunoon leaf mug, and nibbled on an apple shortbread cookie from Trader Joeβs (in my pre-seasonal life I would never have grabbed the apple cookieβitβs delicious).
Letβs live seasonally in the coming week. See what it does to your happiness levels.
On to the Fluff Stuff!
π₯£ Autumn Soup Stuff
If youβve been here awhile, you know that soup is one of my love languages (along with pens & notebooks). In the spirit of living seasonally, I made Love & Lemons September Recipe of the MonthβCorn Chowder. The recipe calls for Old Bay Seasoning, which I have never used in my life. Zesty!
And what actually is Old Bay Seasoning? Of course we know itβs used for crab boilsβbut itβs actually a combination of 18 spices. According to Food.com,
Old Bay seasoning was invented in Baltimore, Maryland by a German immigrant and spice merchant named Gustav Brunn. His first venture, the Baltimore Spice Company, sold a variety of single spices and a few blends. Later, Brunn created a proprietary spice blend designed for crab boils to satisfy a niche among Baltimore seafood mongers. According to the Baltimore Sun, he renamed his business Old Bay after a steamship line that sailed between Baltimore and Norfolk.
πΆ Music Stuff
We are always being monitored and tracked, but sometimes technology is used for good. Spotify added Ladytronβs βDestroy Everyone You Touchβ to my Daily Mix, and I was instantly transfixed. This might be my song of September. Who is Ladytron you ask? (Cuz I did). Theyβre an electronic dance band from Liverpoolβformed in 1999! This song was released in 2006βwhoops, missed it. Regardless-itβs in the soundtrack of my life now (Iβve started a monthly playlist of songs I come across that touch my musical soul). Better late than never. Is this a song or is this a song?
π Book Stuff
The autumn book releases are coming in hot. Two of the Substack GOATS have the book lists you need.
From Itβs Book Talk & More: Listed: Fall 2024 Book Lists
From Brittanyβs Notebook: Fall Read, Watch, Listen
πΊ TV Stuff
I started three shows this weekβall on Hulu, and watched just one episode of each.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
I could only watch one episodeβI felt like I was watching a train wreck of the highest order. Taylor Frankie Paul is a broken human, and the rest of the wives look and act identically, like the Stepford Wives of Utah TikTok. As a fan of reality television (the Below Deck franchise is the greatest show on televisionβtaking no questions), this show elevated my discomfort, and I feel women are made for more than being TikTok housewives. Didnβt anyone watch Barbie? Surely thereβs some depth somewhere? ZERO βοΈ out of FIVE
English Teacher
If you like/love Abbott Elementary πββοΈβEnglish Teacher is for you. Taking place in Austin, Texas (although clearly not)βthis is a charming little warm hug of a show. No notes. βοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈ
Tell Me Lies
Gossip Girl, but in college, and the gaslighting/abusive boyfriend angle is amped up even higher. The show is based on the novel by Carola Lovering (this has to be a nom de plume). I LOVE IT. Great clothes, beautiful people, and villains. All in. βοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈ
And thereβs a (killer) soundtrack for that.
π€£ Laughing Stuff
If anyone watched the debate on TuesdayβI shriek laughed many times. How is this election even close? If youβre an Impractical Jokers fanβ¦
πΊ More Television Stuff
The Emmys are on this Sunday! Hosted by Eugene & Dan Levy.
Print out your Emmy ballot here.
Did you know that for one moment in time, there was a Super Emmy? From the New York Times, Is it Time to Bring Back the Super Emmy Award from 1974?
For the 1974 ceremony, the Television Academy created a βSuper Emmyβ that pitted winners in the comedy and drama balloting against each other. For example, the βM*A*S*Hβ star Alan Alda took home two trophies that year: one for best comedy actor and a second in a head-to-head showdown with Telly Savalas, who had already won the drama lead acting award for βKojak.β
I think theyβve brought up a good point here.
But a Super Emmy would do more than merely add a βHighlanderβ-style bolt of excitement β βThere can be only one!ββ to a generally predictable telecast. It would also acknowledge the blurring of lines in TVβs categorical designations, which often makes it hard to differentiate between drama, comedy and limited series.
I mean, youβre telling me βThe Bearβ is a comedy? Nope. Bring back the Super Emmy!
𧑠Subscribe to my Instagram! This October, the Seasonalist will have a 31-day challenge of Autumn Underconsumption and Overexperiencing. Find all the music, experiences, food, and living for your best sustainable and joyful autumn life.
May your weekend be fluffy.
OMG! We might be! I can't get enough (but also why didn't I know about Ladytron?)
Love Ladytron! I am becoming more and more convinced that we are the same person :)