Loving Lately
A peek into the things I’ve read, seen, eaten, drank, heard, or been inspired by recently.
Shopping: The Mismatches by Charlotte Stone
The shoes in the Mismatches collection by Charlotte Stone light up some youthful, excitable, carefree part of my aesthetic brain. I can imagine so many ways to style them: with white loose denim and a tan fuzzy cardigan, with black and white gingham, with a monochrome floral dress. They’re so much fun to look at, and I’ve heard nothing but great things about the quality. I will definietly be stopping by the Charlotte Stone Pop-Up in Highland Park sometime in the next couple of weeks.
Music: Calico by Ryan Beatty
Calico is a gorgeous album from Ryan Beatty. Soft and powerful in equal measure, I’m constantly shocked that he hasn’t blown up in a mainstream way. I’m especially obsessed with the brushy guitars and breathy honesty on “Bruises Off the Peach”. Can’t wait to see him live later this year.
TV & Movies: Rental Redo with Keyanna Bowen
I love watching Keyanna Bowen on her interior design show Rental Redo. I’m in the middle of watching the whole thing for the second time, for a few reasons:
1) It’s really refreshing to see a home makeover show that is focused on rental spaces. So often interior design shows showcase huge budgets, mansions, and complete overhauls - and while that can be fun, it can make it seem like creating an intentional space requires a huge downpayment, full demolition, and getting rid of everything you own. I love that Keyanna focuses on upgrades that can be done now, even for those of us who don’t own our homes or have a ton of money to spend.
2) Keyanna has impeccable taste, excellent design ideas, a wonderfully calming presence, and a highly aspirational coastal-casual wardrobe.
3) I love seeing a Black woman be the host of an interior design show! We don’t get to see Black women on center stage in their creative flow nearly enough. That said, it made me very sad to learn earlier this year that Rental Redo was not picked up for season two. Whatever the reasoning, it’s a clear loss. (Keyanna wrote about her feelings about the cancellation on her Instagram, East and Lane).
Even though we’re not getting another season, you can still binge season one of Rental Redo via Amazon Prime or Discovery+. And I’m hopeful Keyanna will make her way back to TV at some point.