The Collection: March 2024
Binge-watching different shows, Skims Lab, hectic birthday planning, lots of exciting work updates, and synchronicities.
Welcome to 'The Collection' – your curated end-of-month digest of all things I found noteworthy, from the realms of literature, entertainment, advertising, and more.
This month, my focus was primarily on catching up with all the TV shows I forgot I was watching. My friend introduced me to an amazing app called TV Time (thank you, Diego), where you can keep track of each show you watch, tick off episodes as you go and it’ll notify you of upcoming seasons. It’s been a game-changer!
What I Read
Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
It left me with mixed feelings. While the times portrayed in the book didn’t quite live up to the title, I found myself still enjoying it and breezing through it rather quickly.
I found the main character, Ava, pretty annoying too—too complex for no reason. The book lacked a big plot, which reminded me of "The Idiot," but it did offer some thought-provoking quotes. One that particularly stood out to me was,
“You still put more time and energy into showing you don’t love me than anyone has ever put into showing me they do.”
Brutal, indeed. Overall, I gave it a 2/5 rating on Goodreads.
What I Watched
Killers of the Flower Moon directed by Martin Scorsese
Admittedly, I completely missed the fact that Martin Scorsese movies last a lifetime, and there were moments when I questioned when the movie was going to end. Despite this, I found the film to be great overall.
Lily Gladstone ate her role UP, leaving no crumbs behind. I've yet to watch "Poor Things," so I won’t comment on Emma Stone’s Oscar win just yet. Leonardo did great, as he always does.
On the other hand, Robert De Niro's performance was so convincing that I found myself despising his character—an indicator of exceptional acting skills. A prime example of this is Jack Gleeson's portrayal of Joffrey Baratheon in "Game of Thrones."
The Buccaneers on AppleTV
I'll be honest, the Pilot episode didn't impress me much, but I knew I had to give it a chance. It really picked up after the third episode, and now I'm hooked and waiting for the next season.
Much like Bridgerton, it is filled with love, balls, and drama. It follows the romantic adventures of the five girls pictured above, who originate from New York and find themselves navigating the social scene of the United Kingdom.
I have to say, I can't stand the name of the girl on the left, Conchita. But aside from that, the men are hot, except for one creepy character. Overall, it's worth a watch!
The SUGAR Expert: Everything You Need To Know About Glucose Spikes - The Jay Shetty Podcast with Guest Jessie Inchauspé
A total pivot from the above, but I found this video super interesting. Clocking in at an hour long, I surprised myself by watching the entire thing. Jessie Inchauspé, also known as ‘The Glucose Goddess,’ is a French biochemist and best-selling author. In the video, she explains how glucose operates in our bodies, and incredibly easy tips for managing it.
Some tips from the video are:
Always opt for a savory breakfast over a sweet one.
Enjoy sweet treats after main meals like lunch or dinner.
Start your meals with veggies and/or vinegar, which act as a sort of protective layer.
Pair your snacks with a source of fat or carbohydrates.
Consume whole fruits rather than denatured ones.
If sugar is listed among the first five ingredients, consider it a dessert. (Keep in mind, ‘sugar’ can appear under various names.)
Jessie has recently released a book titled Glucose Revolution, which offers further insights into this topic.
Side Note: Can we take a moment to appreciate the jeans she wore in the video, especially when paired with those white heels? Slayed.
Also, I binge-watched the last season of The Morning Show (can you tell I finally got an AppleTV subscription?) and the last season of Demon Slayer (definitely one of the best anime series I’ve seen, right up there with Attack On Titan).
Arts/Design/Ads
Skims Lab TV Campaign - directed by Frank Lebon
I'm a huge fan of the Skims brand and their advertising campaigns. Their first-ever National TV Commercial, features Kim and her 'Klones' putting all their shapewear to the test. The creativity behind these tests is incredibly clever, and I'm particularly obsessed with the space-themed concept running throughout, which I know Kim references every now and then.
Another campaign I adore is her 2023 Holiday Shop campaign, shot by none other than Nadia Lee Cohen. The vintage vibe, the makeup, and the clever play of words—it's just chef's kiss.
What I’m Working On
FINALLY, I finished my Squarespace Course!
I bought this course last April and kept pushing it aside, overwhelmed by the volume of valuable information and resources it contained.
It demanded a lot of time and dedication which last year was completely consumed by my previous job and Juni. But this year, I made finishing it a top priority.
I even made a rule for myself: no starting anything new until I completed this course. And now, I can proudly say that I know how to build custom websites on Squarespace. So, if that's something that interests you, hit me up!
Website Design for Client
Moving on to the development stages! This is my first time collaborating with a developer, which is incredibly exciting because it grants me more creative freedom in the design phase. Now that the responsibility of developing the website isn't mine, I can incorporate designs and features that I wouldn’t have been able to code on my own.
Making Moves with THE Summer Project
My sister came to visit and we had the chance to dive into prototyping the products we're developing and aiming to launch this summer. Additionally, I completed the website for the project, and I'm absolutely thrilled with it. Now, I'm waiting on some valuable feedback on it.
Random Stuff
Why is planning your own birthday so hard?
I've lost count of how many times I've changed my birthday plans over the past month. Now, I've reached the point where I'm just winging it, with minimal effort on the planning front. Sure, there's still some planning involved, but it's mostly centered around the decorations.
Every year, it's the same story: I just suck at planning my own birthday. It's become a running joke among my friends, from getting overcharged at brunch to my perpetual poor time-management skills. And to make matters worse, I'm always overly concerned about ensuring everyone has a good time.
I had big plans for this birthday—after all, it's my quarter-life crisis we're talking about here. The full development of my frontal lobe deserves to be celebrated. Maybe it's my actual frontal lobe, or maybe it's just pure delusion, but ever since the year began, something just clicked in me. I feel different.
Do you believe in synchronicities?
Because I do. Lately, I've been experiencing a lot of synchronicities regarding my desire to visit Paris. I've had an itch for it for a while now. Here's the thing: I've been to Paris once before, back in 2017, and I did not like it... at all.
I know I have to give it another chance because I visited at a bad time, both in terms of the season and my mental state. It was one of my lowest points. But now, there's something in me that is calling me back there. Also, I do want to be fully fluent in three languages at some point in my life, and that third language will be French.
Avec beaucoup d'amour, Isabella.