June Fresh Picks

What I’m wearing

Capricorn Perfume from Zodica Perfumery

I’m always on the hunt for fun, quirky things that I can also use in my everyday life. If you’re looking for the same, I discovered a fun new perfume brand at the Dane County Farmer’s Market not too long ago. Zodica Perfumery offers perfumes inspired by your zodiac sign and it’s relevant traits. As a late December baby, mine is Capricorn and I’m obsessed with the scent. I was worried it would be too floral, but I lucked out and got my favorite mix of fragrances. It’s notes are white tea, yuzu, mandarin, clementine, white lavender, fresh sage, water lotus, sheer clean musks. It’s perfect for the office and going out. It’s also in a convenient travel case, which twists up and down so there is no worry just tossing it in your purse. It’s fun, different, and from a small, woman-owned business based in Monroe, Wisconsin. Snagging one of these lovely perfumes is a great way to support local, small, and woman-owned!

 

 

What I’m reading

“I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer” by Michelle McNamara

I started this book the week before they caught the Golden State Killer. The second after the special episode on My Favorite Murder dedicated to this book was done, I ordered it. The first few chapters alone has twisted my stomach and made my heart race. I can’t imagine what the writing process had been like for Michelle McNamara. She was haunted by the case, and you can feel that in every page of the novel.  I read the first few chapters and was so unnerved I finally had to put it down..and double check every window and door in my apartment was locked tight. I felt unsettled in ways I never had felt before. I didn’t pick up the book for a few days, and before I knew it, the headlines were splashed across Twitter. He’d been caught. His downfall? DNA evidence finally connected. There is a part of me unsatisfied by his capture only because she never got to see who the monster really was.

Will I read it differently now that there is no blank face of an unknown killer conjured in my mind? Will there be more ease now I have a name and know the outcome of the grisly puzzle? Maybe a little. But most likely not. Because a name to the deeds doesn’t change how sickening and awful they were.  It’s just more proof of what terrible things humans can do, and will continue to do to each other. But that won’t stop me from finishing this book, from absorbing the passion and obsession Michelle McNamara poured into her work. And I think you should do the same.

What I’m watching

“ER” (1994-2009) on Hulu

If you’ve talked to me at all in the past couple of months, you must know I’m obsessed with the classic medical drama “ER”. Mom told me to watch it for years, and I did see the finale when it aired. Thankfully, I don’t remember any of it and this is the first time it’s all been in one place for me to watch (okay, binge). And boy, have I binged. I’m already on season nine out of 15 and I only started the show a few months ago. This show drew me in hard. A long time fan of “Grey’s Anatomy”, it was hard for me to not start comparing things immediately.  But I had to remind myself, “ER” is about a Chicago county hospital and ER docs. Grey’s is about surgeons at a prestigious research hospital in Seattle. It’s apples and oranges, so you can’t start comparing them. The second you stop, the more you’ll enjoy it.

I’m not someone who easily gets unsettled by story lines and scenarios, but “ER” has done it every single season. The infamous episode “Love’s Labor Lost” was the first time anything honestly left me feeling shook. The LA Times described it as  “Haunting first season show leaves a lasting impact” and boy it has for me. Episodes like that sometimes make me so uncomfortable, but in a good way, a way where I really have to think about why I reacted the way I did and what these issues mean to me. I highly recommend taking the plunge into this show. It’s riveting, brings up so many emotions, and is so timely, you almost forget you’re watching a show from over 20 years ago. You’ll also see the exact moment everyone fell in love with George Clooney (hint: it’s episode seven, season 2)

What I’m eating

Cold Brew Coffee Chocolate Bar

If shopping while hungry is dangerous, shopping while hungry at Trader Joe’s is life-threatening. I think there’s only been two times in my life I’ve gone in there and got exactly what I needed. Well, on one of my not so quick stop ins, I found myself perusing the chocolate display perched cleverly above the frozen foods. Then I came across the three things that are my weakness: cold brew, chocolate, and caramel. Uhm, hell yeah that sounds amazing. And it so is. If you come across this trifecta chocolate at your Trade Joe’s, treat yourself and grab a bar (or two). You won’t regret it.

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