Lovely Ms. Elvira

The Mistress of the Dark as drawn by Mel Odom!

Sjaak's Halloween Treat

Like all the things in life I love, this yummy chocolate company went belly up a couple years back. I'm so glad I snapped a photo of their best vegan treat. It was utterly divine.

Concrete Limbs

Rebels Without Applause - Morrissey

Tieduprightnow - Parcels

Mother - IDLES

Don't Stop - LP

Morning Song - The Avett Brothers

Thinking of a Dream I Had - The Walkmen

Mean Street - Van Halen

Plus fort que nous - Francis Lai

After All You Put Me Through - Joyce Manor

Make Mistakes - The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die

Husbands - Savages

Cobra - Geese

Sweet Talk - Dear & the Headlights

Teal - Wunderhorse

It's Not Easy (Falling in Love) - Medium Build

Far Cry - Rush

Conversion Song - Dana Hall

Woman On The Edge of Time - Outernational

Groovy Samba - Nicola Conte

Loving Wrong - St. Paul & the Broken Bones

Salt Then Sour Then Sweet - Sara Bareilles

Stratus - The Meatbats

Quiero - Juanes

Space: 1999 - Barry Gray

Beat's So Lonely - Charlie Sexton

Cold Water - Tom Waits

Blue Train - John Coltrane

Mille Incendi - Anthony Lazaro

Morning Star Ship - Jobriath

La Differencia - Juan Gabriel

- September 2026 Playlist

Summer 2026 Books

July

** Training John and Murray ¹ by Martin Clunes - Driving around listening to the adorable Martin Clunes narrate this was pure bliss. Now, I don't own dogs, never have and never will, sadly, but I do love puppers and had no idea how insane it could be to train littermates. Only Clunes could make this topic fun and intriguing. I hope he writes more books!

♥ Narwhal's Otter Friend by Ben Clanton - Oh my goodness, these books just get cuter and cuter. One day I hope to have the complete set!

♥ People Like Us by Dominick Dunne - This was one of my favourite Dunne novels. I know that pretty much all of his fiction books center around high society, but I never get tired of reading his descriptions of the opulence. 

August

* Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! ¹ by Liza Minnelli - Oh my gosh, Liza is so over-the-top but truly comes across as genuine. I'm sure she means it when she says she loves me, the listener, but it's a bit unhinged. Anyway, this was a fab memoir and I'm glad she narrated, even though I needed to run it at 1.45 speed. She dished the dirt and made no apologies for her many love affairs and also owns her mistakes. The best part that made me howl with laughter was when she discussed her dipshit last husband and ended a tirade with "Loser." - oh my gosh, hilarious! I'm glad I bought this audiobook because I'll definitely listen to it again in a few years.

¹ - audiobook
² - abridged version
* - liked
♥ - loved
Any unmarked titles were, in my opinion, so-so.

September 2026 Donations

Special Olympics

Special Olympics is a global sports movement of people creating a new world of inclusion and community, where every single person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of ability or disability. We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place—one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time.

The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Please join me in the Low Budget Philanthropy movement and help out your community and beyond in the simplest way - donating any amount to whatever charity or organisation that you care about!

LP at Union Transfer

Why do I continue to buy tickets to events that I know I will hate? Well, back in May I gleefully purchased two tickets to see LP in Philly, hoping that Kayla could get the night off work. Fast forward to last night and Kay had to work til 11pm and so I was left to go by myself. It is pure hell not having anyone like the things I like. All day Saturday my stomach was in knots and I was dreading going. I looked up the setlists from previous shows and it would essentially be the entire new album, Room 12, followed by the full album of Lost On You. So I put on my bravery trousers (AKA big-girl pants) and went across the bridge to arrive by 8, right at showtime. I was halfway hoping that there wouldn't be any parky spots left and I could just go home. The universe granted me a spot (for $32.13, which is absolutely highway robbery) with zero issues and so I made my way to the venue. No waiting in line, I got right in and found a little spot against the wall all the way in the back by the bar. Ten minutes of waiting and they hit the stage. LP's vocals were absolutely flawless. FLAWLESS. I stayed until 10pm then snuck out after they finished singing Other People. It was a great show but I will never go to another concert again (except for when Jackson makes it big and goes on tour). Nothing is worth the stress that goes with it. 

Gia Carangi for Armani

I saw a series of photos on Instagram last year of Gia Carangi in some stunning Armani pieces. These two were my faves - clean, classic, and effortlessly stylish.