Five Favs: September

Despite what the return of PSLs and the fall equinox having come and gone say, for me, it is only now officially fall. Why? Because I have gotten my annual summer into fall head cold from hell. This one is not playing around. Before I head back to planet Mucinex (anyone else find that cold medicine really messes with you?), a roundup of my five favorite things from September.

The Hollars

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"The Hollars" is a charming movie with a stellar cast. The story is nothing new, man comes home because family member is sick, all the dysfunctional elements of the family come to light, family bonds, love story mixed in on the side, you know the drill. What makes "The Hollars" stand out, is the way the performances. I am a sucker for John Krasinski who directed and stars in the film, but love for my fellow Brunonian (that's the fancy term for those of us who went to Brown University, aka the best school in the world) aside, the lines are smart, the delivery is spot on, and the chemistry amongst the cast is incredible. You get the sense that everyone had a genuinely good time making this film and that they will stay in touch forever. "The Hollars" isn't playing in many theaters and I'm not sure if it's still out, but if you have the chance it's really worth your time.

Adele

I was lucky enough to see Adele during her six night run at Madison Square Garden. She is a perfect human. Just as I experienced at the Radio City show last November, the production was simple but elegant, complimenting the music while never distracting, Adele was her same unfiltered and honest self whenever she spoke to the crowd, and of course, her voice is something from another world. As happens at many shows, the end was marked by a rain of confetti. However, these pieces of confetti all had lines from songs or messages in Adele's handwriting printed on them. I got "Hello," "We could have had it all," and "Thanks for coming." It was such a clever detail which I have never seen before and made for a truly unique souvenir. I hope Adele continues making music and touring for decades.

Wedding in Santa Barbara

L to R: View from my room; A lotus grows in Lotusland; Cacti! or Stepping into a Dr. Seuss book

Ok left coasters, I get it, California is stunning. Although I have been to the Golden State a few times, the areas I have been in and events I went for, didn't really allow me to experience the natural beauty that is the southern coast. Wow. A dear family friend was married in Santa Barbara and the entire weekend was just lovely. From being with people I have known nearly my whole life, to the backdrop, to the food (at the wedding, hotel, and in town), to the love and warmth of the wedding itself, it was pretty much perfect. We didn't have much time to explore the area but my parents and I were able to take a tour of Lotusland, the 37-acre estate of the late Ganna Walska which is now a non-profit public garden. I'm not sure the tour really needs to be 2 hours, but the collection of flora and fauna is staggering; there is an entire succulent garden, a cacti garden, a Japanese garden, the list goes on. Taking the tour was how we spent the only free time we had all weekend and I'm not at all sorry, it's definitely worth a visit if you're ever in the Santa Barbara area.    

Serena Williams’s Snapchat

Trust me on this. Serena Williams, aka the best athlete of all time, is hilarious. She is so real, doesn't take herself seriously, and has a "series" she does about Venus not wearing pants that has made me LOL on multiple occasions. (Venus does wear pants, but she is often wearing short shorts, dresses, or skirts and Serena likes to tease her. It's gold.) Start watching her snaps, you won't be sorry. 

Yankee Game

Cheesin' with the boys. A+ evening.

I officially ticked off one more of the outstanding items on my End of Summer Bucket List! The Yankees' penultimate (don't you just love that word?) series of the season was against the Red Sox and there were good seats available at a reasonable price. Although it seemed like half the stadium employees didn't show up to work because the lines to get in made it look like the game was free to all, seriously, we got there at 6:55 and weren't inside until 7:45, the weather was perfect, the rivalry was in full force (but friendly), the whole stadium did the wave 4 times around, I had one of the best grilled cheeses ever, and the Yankees won. Can you ask for anything more? Ok fine, it would be great if they were in the playoffs but we still have 27.

What were your September favorites?