I need to pause for a sec and share this little tidbit: So… I’ve just started a new project for my design class, which involves visualising data. I was brainstorming what sort of data to visualise, and I decided to look at my blog’s Google Analytics, figuring it would be easy because the data is all there starting from around May 2015 (which is when I switched to WordPress). Now I usually never check Google Analytics because it’s too confusing and stats can be toxic for me to care about. But I checked for this project and I realised that my stats plummeted after May; like, my sessions/users/page views per month have almost halved 😮
With a bit of reflecting, I feel like my content has started to become very formulaic and I haven’t been very creative with my writing. Sometimes I’m not even all that thoughtful with my writing. This past week was the first time in a long time I drafted a week-in-review blog post the night before I planned to publish it. And I’m doing the same for this month-in-review blog post (eek!).
I guess I’m just saying this to commit to myself to… put more effort into this space? Make this space more intimate? Do more than just documentation? Do more reflection? Find more inspiration? Anywho, since I’m thinking about this right now, I would love if you could leave some of your favourite posts/categories from this blog down in the comments! What would you like to see more of?
Books
Touch by Courtney Maum | ★★★☆☆
What’s that Pig Outdoors? by Henry Kisor | ★★★★☆
Movies & TV shows
I’m doing well with my new goal of giving up binging TV shows! The only TV show I’m watching now is Empire, which I’m keeping up with, so no binging involved! However… Season 2 of This Is Us has been running… and Season 2 of Stranger Things came out a few days ago… and Austin was telling me how While You Were Sleeping is good… I’m kinda tempted but there’s just too much that needs to be done. I’ll keep a running list for winter break though.
Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated · Camp Rock · Sydney White · Leap Year · What Happened to Monday · How to Steal a Million · Newsies · Chicago · The Boy in the Striped Pajamas · Hugo · Coraline · The Nightmare Before Christmas · The Addams Family
Music
Remember just last month how I was saying that I was listening to Daniel Caesar on repeat?? Well, during the first week of October I found out that he had a show in Philly on October 16! I immediately headed over to Ticketfly but he was sold out ( ˃̣̣̥ω˂̣̣̥ ) And it was only $15-17 too!! Which would have worked well with my streak of always getting $15 concert tickets.
Des Heures (Ouska edit) – Nemir | I’ve been listening to this over and over but trying to force myself not to so that I won’t ever get sick of it.
Tell Me You Love Me – Demi Lovato · Smoke and Mirrors – Demi Lovato · Red Bottom Sky – Yung Lean · Incantation – Lasafro, Uno Hype · Flare Guns – Quinn XCII, Chelsea Cutler · I Need You – John Vincent III · Glory – Dermot Kennedy · Cringe – Matt Maeson · Burn It Down – Billie Lockett
Cafes/Eats
Green Engine Coffee – avocado toast, salmon gravlax toast, orange rooibos tea, chamomile lavender tea · Graffiti Bar – yuzu cocktail · J’aime French Bakery – napoleon, anastasia tea · Metropolitan Cafe – cheese berry danish, some kind of rooibos tea · Peddler Coffee – lavender london fog · Happily Ever After – chocolate peanut butter shake
Shopping Haul
After I read about Michelle’s spending ban, I thought it would be cool to try for myself. I’ve really controlled myself by not buying the Madewell shirt I linked in last month’s post and not buying the Luke’s Diner mug linked below. But when Bath & Body Work’s ad popped up on Facebook about their sale for their 3-wick candles, I couldn’t resist… It was buy 3 get 3 free! So… I have 6 new candles… I definitely shouldn’t have. But I did. These candles are gonna have to last me the rest of my frickin’ life. To add to my collection of vanilla snowflake, warm apple pie, and eucalyptus mint, I have frosted cranberry, leaves, winter, hot cocoa & cream, campfire donut, and caramel pumpkin swirl. I can’t believe I didn’t get the spiced apple toddy though! (Maybe should have gotten it instead of the winter candle…) (See?? This is why I can’t have nice things! I’ll never be satisfied!)
Wishlist
Luke’s Diner mug, blue | I spent a long time deciding between blue, white, and merlot.
Gnome & owl enamel mugs | Yes, both. I’m always susceptible to buying mugs, but especially so in the autumn and winter!
Lately
The mousetrap in our apartment caught a mouse; I put a paper barricade in front of it and went to hide at Grace’s apartment. A SMOL DOG CARRYING THE BIGGEST BRANCH. Marjorie’s friends came over for dinner to kick off fall break; it was my first time meeting them! Wandering around Philly and appreciating pretty storefronts. A mooncake from Reina. KO-ed after dinner with the squad at Bonchon. Squad at Senior Cocktails.
How was your October, and what are you planning for November?
PS: first week of october, second week of october, third week of october + fall break vlog, fourth week of october
PPS: september, august, july, june, may, april, march, february, january