Frankly, Lately: The October Edit

Hi friends! Welcome to the very first edition of Frankly, Lately - a new monthly series where I share the little things currently filling my cup. Think of it as a cozy catch-up between blog posts: what I’m loving, reading, eating, wearing, and thinking about lately - all wrapped up in one spot.

Each month, I’ll share a new “edit” of moments, favorites, and musings from my everyday life - the things that made me smile, sparked inspiration, or simply got me through. Consider it your friendly peek behind the scenes of what life’s been like lately. I hope that you’ll discover something new and exciting to you, or maybe we can connect over a shared love! :)

So, without further ado - here’s The October Edit.

Savoring: My weekly Dancing with the Stars edible creations! With the help of ChatGPT, I’ve been dreaming up the coziest, delicious AND healthy dinners to spoil my sweetie and mother-in-law with while we watch the latest DWTS episode. If you’re a DWTS fan you’ll know that each week has a unique theme (like Wicked, or One Hit Wonders), and these themes have provided a ton of inspiration to try totally new recipes as well as spin-offs of some of my favorite types of dishes. If you have the chance to make a themed weekly dinner, I highly recommend. It’s so fun. :)

Wearing: During these chilly mornings and rainier days, I’ve been absolutely LOVING the wool coat I’ve been renting from Nuuly this month - See U Soon’s Classic Wool Overcoat. Also honorary mention for my new cozy & stylish Mariners crewneck that I picked up at the Team store at T-Mobile Park.

Reading: I finished Amanda Montel’s “Cultish” earlier this month, then moved onto “Wintering” by Katherine May and am totally loving both! Catch my cult dissertation on my YouTube channel ;) I learned SO much and saw myself in certain parts of both of these reads - always so powerful when that happens. There’s a reason I adore nonfiction, and these two reads really highlighted that. As the month wraps up, I am starting Tom Hanks’ debut novel “The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece” and am curious to see how my next fiction read unfolds!

Listening: Other than Tay’s release, the album I was really looking forward to this month was Miss Brandi Carlile’s “Returning to Myself” and it did not disappoint! I’m still freshly listening to it but so far I really love "Returning to Myself”, “Human”, and “Church & State”. I’ve definitely also had “The Fate of Ophelia” on repeat from The Life of a Showgirl, obvi.

Watching: Suuuuper excited that Grey’s Anatomy is back for a new season! I’ve been keeping up with that, DWTS, and catching up on some of my Real Housewives franchises. Only Murders in the Building is a staple this time of year, too. Super duper missing Big Brother and Traitors right about now, but it’s only a matter of time before new seasons begin again.

Creating: This month I indulged in a bit of crafty time to create an iconic No Kings protest sign, featuring some fabulous drag kings with the words: “The only kings we need wear glitter”. Perioddd. I also painted some pumpkins from the local patch, and went to a fun, fall Paint & Sip event raising funds for Thurston County’s Relay for Life - Part of the American Cancer Society with a client’s company. She was really flexin’ that creative muscle this month!

Visiting: T-Mobile Park was our frequent spot this month cheering on our M’s during the postseason. I am obviously devastated that we were one game away from the World Series (we even had tickets!), and now the Dodgers better beat those little birdies’ ass! We will be back better than ever next year.

Loving: Lately I’ve been really loving Touchland’s Cinnamon Gingerbread hand sanitizer - smells good enough to eat! Also obsessed with Ellenos yogurt’s pumpkin pie treat.

Craving: Honestly been craving some serious REST! Because the past couple of months have been so go-go-go and busy (which I am so grateful for), I have desperately needed downtime when I can turn off my brain and do something mindless - coloring books, reading, even scrolling TikTok. Prioritizing my rest has been something I haven’t quite mastered in this busier season and I am aiming to do that next month. I’m also craving more intentional exercise / movement. Although the busy season is keeping me moving and out & about, I’ve also been consuming a lot of treats and festive iced coffees at and in between client meetings. Hoping to prioritize some real workouts and walking pad time when possible in my schedule.

Learning: I think circling back to my prioritizing rest amidst a busy season is fitting here. It’s a life-long process but learning how to create boundaries with myself around work and lead a balanced life is a major focus of mine at the moment. I’ve also been learning a lot about accessibility lately, as I’ve recently taken on a client in the trades who specializes in accessible bathrooms and it has been such a fascinating subject to dive into!

Buying: In addition to grabbing my annual advent calendars for 2025, I am heavily contemplating this gorgeous Eddie Bauer cozy cotton sheet set (as of the day I am writing this they are currently 35% off and I need to press that buy button!).

Manifesting: A calm, gentle start to the holiday season with enough room to breathe.

Snapping: Tons of mems from the No Kings protest, autumn adventures, pumpkin patch poses, and a million and one videos for my various clients! Super energizing to have so many cool projects to edit.

Feeling: like a runaway train. Deeply grateful. Very full (both with carbs & satisfaction).

Obsessing: Majesty. The drag performer. Need I say more? I discovered Majesty during their first season of Dragula, and at the time I didn’t get down with a lot of the drama of that season but always admired their artistic style. Come Season 666, I absolutely fell head over heels and they were one of my top favorites of the entire season. Not to mention incredibly easy to look at! ;) I also really related to them, dealing with my own demons of anxiety and uncertainty over the years. This past September I had the pleasure of meeting them and seeing how kind and down-to-earth they are, confirming my belief that they are in fact an honest, genuine gem. Give their new music a listen or consider seeing them at a local show in the area if you’re from the PNW - truly a fab artist to support!

Celebrating: Feeling very grateful to be celebrating 2 years married to my best friend this October 15! Jared took me out on a weeknight dinner date at Copper & Salt Northwest Kitchen in Point Ruston and were sweetly surprised by the restaurant giving us a delicious lemon tart on the house. While this anniversary is becoming more normal nowadays (and it’s really a small sliver of our whole relationship timeline), we aim to make it a bit special still.

Scrolling: I’m deep in Group 7, Mariners, and T-Swift lore on the ‘tok nowadays. How about you!?

Recharging: Scheduling calming co-working dates with my closest friends where we can vent, laugh, and sip on a yum coffee flight is a great respite from a super slammed workload this October.

Cheering: on the M’s. :) Forever & ever & ever. #TruetotheBlue