My weekend was nice and mellow. On Friday I stayed in. I watched a LOT of documentaries. I started out watching all of Allen v. Farrow on HBO. I knew it would be upsetting but wasn’t quite prepared for how much it would affect me. It broke my heart. Poor Dylan Farrow. To endure such horrible abuse and not be believed. I cried watching it and just felt really sick to my stomach. After that I watched the Varsity Blues doc (about the college admissions scandal) on Netflix. That was fascinating. And ALSO very upsetting – for entirely different reasons!!! I went to bed just feeling really sad and upset and angry at the world. I would maybe say watch them both individually but maybe have something happy to chase them with?
Anyway, on Saturday I did a deep clean of my closet and dresser and drawers (move prep!) and met Rachael and Becca for drinks at Hotel Delmano and then dinner at Aurora (two of our favorite spots!). And yesterday I went to the park with Rayna… and then went over my sister’s to hang with Zoe. A perfect little weekend. Yesterday’s weather was just heaven. As for this week, it’s going to be bonkers but I’m doing my best to just embrace the crazy. It’s my last full week here, and I have a lot of brand deadlines etc etc. Have a great week ahead, friends!
This Week’s Good Things, 3.22.21
Ophelia & Indigo
Ophelia & Indigo is a brand new womenswear brand based out of Brooklyn (and sustainably made in India). Started by two friends (Claire, a former buyer + ethical sourcing manager, + Lucy, who has a background in PR and copywriting), the line is amazing and so much fun to wear. I really love the prints which are a combination of screen + traditional Jaipur block prints, complemented by more classic stripes and solids. The pieces are beautiful and EASY to wear. Everything is made in small batches which is why they launched with a pre-order system! I am a big fan of their nightgown style dresses (this + this), as well as this fun blouse (love the oversized collar) and matching shorts. They sent me a few things (pics to come) but also passed along a code for my readers – use code GRACE10 for 10% off and follow them on Instagram right this way!
Calder at the MOMA
Alexander Calder is one of my most favorite artists and his new show, Modern from the Start, at the Museum of Modern Art was incredible. It opened last week and I went on Sunday. I love his work, especially his mobiles… but what I loved most about this exhibit was learning about his ties to the MoMA. They are really intertwined, and it was so interesting to learn more about that.
Ariel Gordon x HonestlyWTF
I am so excited about this collab! We are all doing a lot more crafting and creative projects (or at least trying to) these days, so what a fun idea. And if you’ve followed either woman for long, you know what a perfect collaboration it is – Ariel + Erica have been friends for nearly a decade (we all crafted together long ago, actually), and Erica is a long time supporter of her brand. There are three kits: Going for Baroque DIY Pearl (above), the Don’t Lose Your Sh!t DIY Bead Kit, and the Happy Daze DIY Charm Bracelet Kit. Such a fun idea, and I love that they use the same sort of high quality materials (extra large freshwater pearls, 14k gold charms, etc) that Ariel uses in her line. Tutorials can be found on HonestlyWTF here, here, and here!
Ginny & Georgia
(CW: Self-harm) Have you watched Ginny & Georgia on Netflix yet? This came highly recommended in the Bad on Paper Facebook group and is the perfect mix of heartwarming with a little bit of scandal. Georgia is a free spirited mom from Alabama with a scandalous and tragic past. After the death of her husband, she moves the kids up to a small town in Massachusetts to start over. The show deals with serious stuff (self-harm, racism) with lighter stuff too. I am seven episodes in and really enjoying it so far.
A hilariously snarky architecture blog.
A friend told me about Kate Wagner’s amazing blog McMansion Hell and I spent at least an hour perusing the archives. If you love Please Hate These Things and Zillow Gone Wild, you will adore this account. Her sense of humor is on point.
Persona on HBO Max
(CW: Suicide) Oh my gosh, this documentary was so interesting. If you listen to the podcast you know how much Becca and I both love a good personality test. This explores the history behind Myers-Briggs (did you know it was actually started by a mother-daughter duo?) and their darker side: my net takeaway was that these tests can be fun and interesting when used for personal reasons… but when they are used for something bigger (like a job interview, for example) they can actually be really problematic. I’d say it’s a must watch!!!!
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Photo by Allie Provost.
Persona sounds really interesting! I need to give it a watch 🙂 have a great week, Grace! ✨
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
It was fascinating!
I love a weekend full of documentaries!! A quick note on the Persona doc because I think its messaging got a little muddied. The Myers Briggs, while fun, is an unreliable measure that should not be used to make decisions about people – the doc is spot on there. Lumping all other Big Five personality instruments with the Myers Briggs, though, is unfair to the developers of those measures. Trained psychologists work to ensure those measures are unbiased, valid, and job-relevant – any measure, personality or otherwise, that’s used in selection goes through a rigorous development and validation process.
Thank you so much for sharing that!
I started the Varsity Blues doc but need to finish. Was instantly disgusted though. Need to check out this jewelry collab!!
xo Jessica
an indigo day
It was so upsetting!!!!
I really enjoyed the documentary Made You Look on Netflix about an art gallery in NYC that sold a bunch of forgeries. I’ve got your two on my watch list! All great links today, thank you!
YES – that one was so so good!!!!
My biggest issue with Allen vs. Farrow is how we’re supposed to believe one child’s (Dylan’s) story of abuse over the others’ (Soon-Yi and Moses’). It’s a sad situation no matter how you look at it, but also troubling that the POC children’s recollections are being ignored.
That’s a great point. I am just thinking about Dylan’s story here, and how awful it is that she was not believed. Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
For me, the difference is that one of the children (Dylan) has never changed her story. Additionally, Dylan’ss story, interviews, and tapes have all been reviewed by professionals who are the closest things we have to experts on the topic of abuse and sexual abuse of a child.
Soon Yi was no longer in the house when the alleged abuse happened.
Moses has changed his story/position on the matter.
Neither has agreed to interviews with sexual abuse experts for their story to be analyzed.
Very well said, I tend to agree with your view!!!!
Persona sounds fascinating! I’m taking a class on psychological testing next quarter and can’t wait to learn more about all of this—the good and the bad. My boss at one of my v. early jobs had me take a personality test (I was terrified and waited until I was a little tipsy), and it ended up being one of my top two fave jobs I’ve had, and she is one of my closest friends to this day.
Think you will love!!!!
Have you watched Firefly Lane on Netflix? It is so good just hoping they renew for Season 2.
OMG yes I LOVED IT!!!!
Tonight on PBS is Coded Bias.
If you liked Persona, then check that out!
OOH thank you!