8 things - august 2024
two delicious recipes, my current favorite show and a trader joe's must-have
helllllo! the last few weeks have been a literal roller coaster and there is so much going on behind the scene but things are settling down now and I finally have time to get this month’s update out.
this is my FAVORITE time of year. I always loved back-to-school time, I have an October birthday, my favorite season is fall and then we have the holidays. I love fall coats, days at the pumpkin patch, apple cider donuts, cool crisp days and every single Thanksgiving food. this is my time to shine, bring on the -ber months.
but before we move onto fall, here’s some things I loved in august:
one of my friends went to Lollapalooza in early August and discovered an up-and-coming band called Briscoe - a folk/rock/indie band from Texas. she loved them immediately and came home raving. serendipitously, Briscoe was coming to Portland a couple weeks later so she gathered a group of friends to go. the show was GREAT. it was super intimate, maybe 30 or 40 people in the crowd. not only is the music great but they’re really great performers. at one point, they turned all the lights and came into the audience for an acoustic session that literally made me tear up lol.
if this sounds up your alley, i definitely recommend you give them a listen. for those of you in the south, midwest and east coast, they’re still on tour and you have a chance to see them! it’s a great show, the tickets were super affordable ($15 for us but know it varies) and they have cute merch. what else could you ask for! tour dates in the button below.Reformation Fantino Cashmere Cardigan
let me start by saying that yes, this is a VERY expensive cardigan ($298) but there’s a lot of ways not to pay full price and I do this it’s worth snagging it on sale.
my best friend showed up to our February girls trip in this cardigan and I was immediately obsessed. she told me to wait and buy it on sale like she did but I wasn’t even sure I could justify it then. in April, the cardigan ended up going on sale at Saks (actually on sale now too!) so I took advantage of their new customer 10% discount and cashed in my Honey rewards to ultimately get the cardigan for $152. a steal.
since then, I’ve gotten every penny’s worth out of this cardigan because I’m fully obsessed and wear it almost weekly. you can wear it casually or at work. you can dress it up or dress it down. it looks clean and polished but also somehow feels relaxed and casual. it’s cozy but not too warm that you can’t wear it year-round. can you tell how much I love it? now, like every good clothing item, I just need to get it in black.
one thing to note: I’m a pretty true XL and but got this cardigan in a medium for a very average fit. if you have a Reformation store near you, it’s worth going into the store to try it on then purchase from whatever retailer has the best deal. if you don’t have one near you, just make sure wherever you order from has a good returns policy and system. and if you get it on sale, maybe order two sizes so you can get the discount and just return the one that isn’t the right fit.My “Patron of the Arts” Era
some of my friends and I decided to get Broadway in Portland season tickets this year and we had our season opener this month: Peter Pan. the show surpassed my expectations, and we all really loved it. it’s also going to be so fun to have a fun weeknight event to look forward to, especially as we head into the cold and rainy months. we always talk about wanting to find ways to get out, have fun and spend time together on weeknights so this will be a nice treat for us.
coming up this season: Hamilton (my fave), Wicked, Life of Pi, & Juliet, Kimberly Akimbo and MJ the Musical. We also have the season options for Six and Book of Mormon. it’s going to be a great season and well worth the $$$.this is also my second year of being a member of the Portland Art Museum. I’ve loved visiting on my own and with friends and fully think it’s worth the money for me. plus it’s a great way to spend a too-hot or too rainy weekend. side note: if you’re a museum person that loves to travel, I highly recommend looking into your museum’s reciprocal membership program to visit other museums around the country. I’ve been to some great museums using this program and saved some money along the way.
august is peach season, especially here in oregon where the produce is plentiful all summer long. these peach bars were fan favorite at work and at home with friends. fresh, fruity, good for breakfast if you desire but delicious as a dessert as well. plus a perfect way to use the box of peaches that I got at the fancy grocery store without checking the price first haha
p.s. this baker, Broma Bakery, has been one of my favorite bakers lately and top of mind as I await the release of her new cookbook - which comes out next month on my birthday! if it’s good, I’ll let you guys know if it’s good in a future 8 Things.Below Deck
if you haven’t noticed from my previous newsletters, I love reality tv. there’s something to nice about being able to have easy-to-watch tv ready for cozy weekends or after long days at work. you can be on your phone, clean or work on other tasks (me right now) without missing too much in the show. my current hyperfixation: below deck. somehow I’ve never watched this show but I should have known because my girl friends, guy friends and PARENTS all watch it. plus there’s multiple franchises, all with many many seasons so if you’re a binge watcher, there’s so much to watch. I’m currently watching the OG franchise but I’ve heard nothing but great things about the other below deck franchises and look forward to tackling those in the future!Trader Joe’s Cheddar Cheese with Carmelized Onion
listen you guys - I’m about to put you onto something and I’m telling you in strict confidence because the last thing I need is this cheese being sold out every time I need it. as we re-enter charcuterie season, this is my gift to you.
this english cheddar has ribbons of carmelized onion and is the richest, creamiest most delicious cheddar of all time. it is the staple of my charcuterie boards because it’s delicious, pairs well with basically every other meat, cracker, bread or spread. since finding this cheese, I’ve got my mom hooked, several friends and coworkers. everytime I check out, the TJs employee says “this cheese is so good” and I know they’re supposed to comment on your stuff but it’s so just GOOD.if you’re a big trader joe’s person, some of my other fave items include the thai vegetable gyoza, gnocci alla sorrentino, butternut squash ravioli, the sour cream and onion puffs, brown sugar oat milk creamer, scandanavian swimmers gummies and the brioche waffles which are new but taste just like the jamba juice ones I loved when I worked there as a teen.
Brown Butter Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
two recipes this month because these cookies deserved to be shared. these were a request from a friend who is literally *obsessed* with banana bread and he LOVED these. thankfully I doubled the batch so I had enough cookies to take for a weekend at the lake where they were also a hit. chewy, not too heavy, a new take on a classic recipe - basically a perfect recipe for when you let your bananas sit too long but just aren’t in the mood for banana bread.
unfortunately the only recipe for them is in an Instagram caption but thankfully it’s a pretty easy recipe to follow. plus these cookies use staple ingredients you probably already have on your house which makes this an easy one to whip up after work or when your munchies hit on a late weekend night.Cherry Limeade Sparkling Water
this last one might seem a little bit random but these have been my hyperfixation of the last month so I must share. one thing about me: I love a fun beverage, . a coffee, a McDonald’s diet coke, a fun bubbly drink - I love it all.
one of my favorite beverages of all time is a diet cherry limeade from Sonic. but we don’t have a ton of Sonics in the Portland area so when I can’t get one of those, this is the next best option. it’s basically a sparking water (definitely sweet but also refreshing. plus they’re not expensive, almost always on sale and come in many flavors if cherry limeade isn’t your thing. I also love this one is definitely my fave. and if it’s bad for me, don’t tell me because I’ve drank one almost every day for the last month.
okay that’s all I have for now! I know I struggle getting these monthly updates out on time but I’m also playing with the idea of writing more content for this space - thoughts, misc musings, more life stuff. so you may be hearing more from me soon, but no promises.
talk soon,
alina
The number of those sparkling waters I used to go through every week, especially during the pandemic, is EMBARRASSING. I was a tangerine grapefruit girlie though & I don’t think they make them anymore? Will grab a cherry limeade next time! (I’m doing my best to ignore your rec for the cardigan because it looks so cozyyyy!)