the may review

thoughts on hit me hard and soft, challengers and my mega closet declutter

I’m currently writing from the sofa with a sleepy dog lying against my legs — we’ve been looking after Jack’s mum’s pup Lily, who was not the only house guest this weekend but definitely the most popular. She's a true angel and definitely restarted the all-too-regular “maybe we should get a dog?” conversation between me and Jack. I didn’t grow up with pets; I briefly had a gerbil but we never formed an emotional bond. Despite this, I’ve always pictured myself in tandem with a dog or a cat, or maybe both, in my future. The comfort that comes with the presence of a small animal pottering around your home gets clearer and clearer to me, and the value-add has really stood out when looking after Lily this time around.

May was hard — life feels governed by my dad’s recovery at the moment, my days bookended by thoughts of everything that needs to be sorted before he leaves rehab. But there are always silver linings if you look for them, glimmers that come through even on the hard days. Catching up with sweet friends over iced coffees and picnics in the park, having a cry at dinner because everything is so painful but so good; how lucky I am to have these friends and feelings. The good times feel extra good, too — seeing Olivia Rodrigo with Klaud at The O2 a few weeks ago was cathartic and divine in equal measure.

When I was younger, I remember reading in the Quaker Advices & Queries, “When experiencing great happiness or great hurt we may be more open to the working of the Spirit.” While I’m not particularly spiritual these days, this A&Q still resonates. I can see how times like this have cracked me open in the past and make me more sensitive to the warmth in life as well as the challenges. I’m trying to focus on those sweet moments as I move through everything right now and avoid the emotional quicksand.

wearing —

My navy blue Sleeper dress and Cary jeans from Reformation.

Since I changed over my wardrobe I’ve been feeling so much better about my outfits. I talked about what switched in my closet decluttering vlog, but I think updating a few basics and taking a fresh approach to assembling outfits made the most difference.

I bit the bullet and bought the magical Cary jeans from Reformation that I tried on in January. They are very good, and the soft blue Galway colour I went for is ideal for the warmer weather. My best rediscovery is the navy Sleeper dress I picked up in 2022 — I always get compliments when I wear it, and even if I didn’t it still makes me feel amazing. I put in a final order from Matches before they close (may she rest in peace) and the major success has been this Ganni sweater — something I also tried on in January while sheltering from the rain in Marylebone. Now I think about it, it’s such an obvious staple for me: a cool brown, a small embroidered logo detail and made from a perfectly soft alpaca wool blend. I’ve had ample opportunity to style it as the weather has been… less than ideal in London — at least cool and overcast has it’s silver linings.

watching —

Challengers was a ride. Seriously; I’m thrilled that horny films are in. Fifteen minutes into our second watch, Dodie and I turned to each other in the cinema open-mouthed; once you don’t have to focus on following the story, the queer lens really jumps out. Luca has a tongue-in-cheek homoerotic agenda and I am HERE for it. I have a working theory that this is why a lot of straight men in my life haven’t taken to the film; subconsciously I think they get a bit jarred and take the gut feeling at face value without further investigation. Perhaps I’m not giving them enough credit though? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Everything about Challengers was a bit of me. I love a beautiful, non-consequential drama; perfect, pretty escapism on film is my thing, have you gathered? The Jonathan Anderson styling was divine, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross’s intense soundtrack made me want to attempt Fold again (something I never thought I’d say), and who doesn’t want to be the flower on Zendaya’s wall for 131 minutes? I’ve also had a crush on Josh O’Connor since he played young Prince Charles in The Crown (very conflicting emotions from that one) so seeing him drenched in sweat after months of tennis training was delightful. Luca had my best interests in mind and for that, I’m grateful.

listening —

I’ve suddenly integrated The Rest Is Politics into my podcast diet — I mean, is it actually that sudden with the July 4th announcement? I don’t have a strong affinity for Alastair Campbell or Rory Stewart but I find it really interesting to hear their analysis of what’s going on in Westminster and the wider world as two people who have worked closely with the Cabinet Office. I’m passionately into politics in an almost insufferable way so let me know if you’d like some general election content over the next five weeks?

Hit Me Hard And Soft hit me HARD. Chihiro is my most-played so far, it’s magical. As I said in our first impressions chat (you should have been there,) I love Wildflower and Bittersuite too, but it’s hard to pick favourites as I just have a huge appreciation for the way the album evolves. I love that I can listen to it in one journey, a neat 43 minutes where I can be fully absorbed in the project before reaching my destination. As Tiffany said in the chat, this album is proof that trimming the excess is good for the art! I wish some of my other favourite artists would take note…

As always, I’ve been ferociously adding my favourite new songs to my Honey playlist. My friend Nia told me I should be sharing my public playlists more so here I am 🍯

forward thinking —

I’m back to craving routine — something that really fell off in the first six months of this year, so I need to to find ways to carve it back into my life. Organisation doesn’t come naturally to me, I’m quite unmanageable by nature. I do all the usual things: keep my diary updated, use Notion as my second brain — but sometimes I wonder if there’s a secret other thing that everyone’s doing and I’m just not aware of. If you have any advice, please leave it in the comments!

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