The DM | Issue Twelve
Or the one where we declare this the summer of the Ranch Water
If you’re in the know, you might be aware that Adweek already predicted that this is the summer of Ranch Water. However, they did so with a question mark and we are doing so with a period. That’s how certain we are that this choice drink is finally getting its time in the sun.
I find myself a bit conflicted by this because though I would like to stop explaining here in Denver that a Ranch Water is two part Topo Chico, one part tequila, with a solid mixing in of lime juice, only to receive a simple tequila highball back, there is a certain joy that comes with being under the radar about such things.
But I guess that’s why you’re here too. One does not drop into The DM to simply know what everyone else does. You want to know what to know before it hits the main feed. You want the DL at The DM. And we’re here to deliver. With lime juice to spare.
Shall we?
From Meg
Being in the no
It’s not all Ranch Waters and cool inflatable pools over here, more often than not my face crosses a link that makes me do a Randy:
Some recent front liners include:
- This candle collection from Miller Lite (I know) that PROMISE to make your home smell like a dive bar (ps, miraculously this collection sold out and was probably bought in full by someone named Chad who enjoys burning them to the sweet sounds of Nickelback in his basement)
- This board game from THAT GUY who holds a cardboard sign for a living on Instagram who we hate because that’s it, that’s his whole job.
- This set of LITERALLY BROWN PAPER BAGS on Marie Kondo’s website in which you can ‘let go with gratitude’ and throw your stuff away for a small fee of $25.
- And finally, the new craze amongst the uber rich where you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to helicopter in a 100-year-old tree to make your mansion look more legit. Fir real, #TrophyTrees are trending.
How to drown out the nos
Let us find some solace from above with some actual music to our ears, shall we? I recently happened upon this amazing website that lets you pick anywhere in the world and any time period 1900-today to play music from. Pop music from 1970’s France? Yep. The hits from 1940’s Russia? I mean if that’s your jam, by all means, go play.
Another cool website (and app!) is of course, the super hip Poolside FM which plays retro music videos alongside music that will in fact, impress your friends all on a dashboard that looks like it’s out of 1997. They also just released a sunscreen to go with your tunes. All of this sounds weird, but I assure you, like coconut rum and chocolate milk, somehow it just works.
Mother knows best
I did not forget it was Mother’s Day this weekend, and if you did, well, there’s a certain je ne sais quoi that comes from a nice bouquet of fresh-cut flowers. And speaking of flowers and mothers, I asked my own mom (Say hello to Jana) to throw in a rec for the fans. The skies the limit, I said! Say what you want, I declared! My mother is a terrific gardener and so she decided you all must know about Burgon and Ball Moss Kneelo® Knee Pads if you too want to get out there and try your hand at gardening this spring.
A direct quote: “Such an asset for a gardener, but versatile for hand mopping floors & cleaning baseboards 😳 (yes, people still do that), also when kneeling for hours on cold concrete, debarking and sanding a tree stump to be used as an end table. #NEVERagain”
You heard it here first, folks. Oh, and while we’re discussing gardening and gifts, I personally love The Floral Society for all their beautiful handmade tools, Bloomscape (which has e-giftcards and 15% off right now!), and Barebones for a bit more economically friendly gardening tool options. Grow on, your mother is waiting.
A few other things to know before you go:
Raise your hand if you want to spend all your moneys on Smeg’s new cookware line.
This video. And this video. And this one. This grammer calls herself a ‘home decor blogger’ but really her title should be ‘home decor comedy show’. HGTV, give this girl a TV deal! Come for the reels, stay for the design.
Gen Z has a replacement word for ‘basic’ and for once, I don’t disagree.
From Devon
C’mon DJ play that song
Contrary to what the lyrics in the title might suggest, this blurb is not a tribute to the J.Lo classic (though, the music video is defs worth a re-watch) nor is it to any one song in particular. No, this is to simply celebrate the undeniable magic that comes when you find the *perfect* playlist for whatever moment you might be in.
Whether you’ve personally handpicked the tunes to fit the occasion - or, it was strategically and brilliantly created by Spotify - a well-crafted setlist is a definite mood-setter. As such, here are a few playlists that have brought me joy in the past weeks, and I pass them along with the hope you might find them useful sometime soon:
Patio Parties & Fresh Air, best paired with warm weather, strong cocktails, and your favorite people
The ‘Bring It On Home To Me’ redux by BJ the Chicago Kid radio station, for a night in that requires some jazzy, soulful vibes
Dancing in the Moonlight, which does in fact contain ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’, and cues up the vibe for a casual backyard hang complete with beers, bare feet, and Drumsticks
The playlist from an ‘Early 2000s R&B’-themed pilates class I recently took, aka perfect choice for when you’re pregaming with Smirnoff Green Apple before that super sick house party that everyone is going to - or, simply just need a strong dose of nostalgia.
What are you going to wear, though?
A truly timeless question for pre-, post-, and during-COVID public appearances and private gatherings alike, this is a very real thing to take into consideration if you, too, are preparing for Hot Girl (slash Guy) Summer 2021 (or, as it’s known in circles ‘round here, ‘Hot Glenna Summer’). Will you take inspiration and style hacks from a favorite movie? (Thelma & Louis all.the.way). Stick to the (modern) classics and find a new favorite pair of Madewell jeans? Make like a young Harrison Ford and go for a shorts and a sweater look? (I’ve been thinking about this a lot this week).
Extra credit reading: whatever happened to the ‘going out top’? Pair this with the aforementioned 2000s playlist for a real millennial thrill.
Go wine about it, why don’t ya
Though I usually don’t have the attention span, I’ve been on a watching-all-the-videos-on-the-Internet-kick lately. I credit Alison Roman’s cooking ‘home videos’ for said change of habit (this week’s sheet pan chicken with olives looks amazing, but I digress). Whatever the cause, I recently viewed - and greatly appreciated - Bon Appetit’s videos featuring a v cool sommelier who tastes and talks through his picks for 20 pretty good red wines and 20 pretty good white wines (see below) under $15. Tune in before your next liquor store run.
Not wine-related but still noteworthy: I also literally lol’d multiple times while watching ‘Desus and Mero Go to the Met Museum.’
Stone cold (plant) killa
As much as I try, my plant parent skills are straight up mediocre. For years, I’ve low key wallowed in the shame that comes with lacking a green thumb, but this summer, all of this will change (that’s what I’m telling myself at least). Luckily, I came across two seemingly stellar resources to help me on my journey: How Many Plants, a ‘growing plant care resource and community’ aka the plant bible with pretty illustrations, and The Skimm’s guide to new plant parenthood.
PJ party, anyone?
This one goes out to all the ladies who need new warm-weather pajamas or, on the flip side, to the fellas whose ladies need said PJs. I ordered a mix of these Old Navy high-waisted dolphin shorts and matching tops in a few different prints (obviously this includes the blue tie-dye) because they were cute and cheap, and well, the verdict is in: I f*cking love them.
Buy them for yourself, buy them for your significant other, buy them for your bestie - whatever you do, just make sure someone you love finds themselves in a pair this summer.
And, before you go, a snapshot of what I’m currently:
Reading: Crying in H Mart (see also: the author’s New Yorker essay of the same name)
Listening to: the audio version of “The Otherside of Languishing is Flourishing” because we are going to FLOURISH this year, goddammit!
Considering an upgrade to: plushy Brooklinen towels because I’m an adult
Eating for dinner: sheet pan nachos, also because I’m an adult