Note Pad, #9
A worthy film adaptation, a very good trenchcoat, and an update on The Life of a Showgirl six months in
This month, I picked up my new passport. It felt strange.
Here were two snapshots of a moment in time, a decade apart. The difference in the photos captures a major headline from that time: I changed my name. But they don’t cover the other turning points. Not the exhilarating ascents or the crushing plummets. The home purchased, the book written and published, the roadtrips driven, the airplanes taken, the cat adopted, the concerts attended, the friends made and kept and lost, the cancers diagnosed once then twice, the weddings attended, the births witnessed, the funerals I missed, the blast radius that tore apart my sense of self irrevocably, the dust that settled in the aftermath that clung to the people who still chose to stand there and love me regardless. I think about all that liminal white space from the last 10 years that lives somewhere in between the tightly curated slices of truth I post to social media and the pair of government-approved shots I hold in my hand. Both real, just shaded in by a different hand. That purgatory of me — a glittering mosaic of my best and worst selves — that doesn’t warrant a photo, but is real nonetheless. I don’t have visual proof of me when I’m generous and loving and loyal, nor when I’m selfish and anxious and spoiled. Arguably, the best and worst versions of me. But I know she exists. Today, the knowledge that I am all of those things and none of those things and more is a comforting thought.
Below, an update on life lately. These are the random tidbits that feel unimportant in the grand scheme of things but, when collated together, color in that portrait of me and this little life of mine. They are the small ink scratches in a note pad that don’t feel aesthetically worthy of a snapshot or significant enough for a dedicated digital update. But that still, nonetheless, comprise the white noise between major life moments that I’m trying to learn do indeed deserve a space of their own. It’s part of my effort to make “Note Pad” a more consistent series here on Liner Notes. Thank you for caring, for reading, for subscribing, for supporting these little moments on a page.
🌸 Coming Soon: I’ve got a spring-y take on Taylor outfit recreations coming to your inboxes! I had so much fun identifying trends and shopping pieces (new and already in my closet) for this post. Make sure you’re subscribed to receive.
🔗 Affiliate Links: Throughout this newsletter I use affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase, I may get a small commission — at no cost to you! Thank you for supporting Liner Notes.
💚 Engagement Matters: If now isn’t the moment for a paid subscription, no worries. There are other - no cost! - ways to support Liner Notes. Becoming a free subscriber, tapping the ‘heart’ button, sharing this post, or leaving a comment are all lovely ways to support this space and the work I do. Every bit of engagement helps support independent writing more than you might think. I’d be so grateful if you considered.
All Hail PHM: Since I first read Project Hail Mary in 2023 it’s floated around the periphery of my brain. When I need to be reminded of a friendship that transcends the stars and the aching vastness of humanity - for all its beauty and its flaws - I think of this book. I’m so glad its movie counterpart paid such faithful homage to the pages of its original source material and that I forever get to think of Ryan Gosling’s face when I inevitably return to reread and rererereread Project Hail Mary in the future. What a gift! And how about THAT Sandra Hüller scene? I’ll never be able to listen to “Sign of the Times” the same again. This movie, coupled with the “moon joy” of the successful Artemis II mission to the moon felt heartening, humanizing, humbling. A reminder of the unity and boundless curiosity that’s possible when we all push onward into a dark future, even when it’s lit only by the hopeful pinpricks of faraway stars. Reid Wiseman, Artemis II’s commander told The New York Times, “I hope we have a great impact on bringing the world together, even just for a minute.” In a press event, the crew’s lone Canadian member Jeremy Hansen explained why space hadn’t changed his perspective on Earth at all. “Our purpose on the planet as humans is to find ... the joy in lifting each other up by creating solutions together instead of destroying,” he said. “When you see it from out here, it doesn’t change it; it just absolutely reaffirms that. It’s almost like seeing living proof of it.” When we look up at the grandness of space, it doesn’t eliminate our divisions but it does suspend them - ever so briefly - in a weightless gravity. We’re captured in a communal reckoning of something extraordinary and bigger than us all.
From Paradise To The Pitt: My television-watching patterns have two modes as of late: morally grey characters surviving the devastation of the world in an underground bunker OR morally grey characters surviving incoming medical trauma in an emergency department. Both depressing and utterly thrilling in different ways. I can be convinced of watching James Marsden in just about anything (Your Friends & Neighbors season two is next) and I managed to tune in and catch up to both seasons of Paradise in time for the recent finale. OMG! Meanwhile, I basically rewatch the Dr. Abbot (and Samira Mohan) ((#mohabbotforever)) scenes of The Pitt between the weekly drops of new episodes. Thursdays can never get here fast enough!
Bleed Nostalgia: Of course, you know there’s been one artist that’s near-singlehandedly defined the most significant turning points of my life gestures around. But elsewhere on my life’s mixtape, there was my requisite teenaged love of punk rock that’s never really faded away. “It’s not a phase, mom!” The last few years have been chock full of anniversary tours — 15, 20, 25 years — that are a mainline of memory from the MP3 player I once carried around as a teen. When my husband alerted me to the 25th anniversary tour of Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American album, we snagged tickets. Oh to sing “Hear You Me” and “The Middle” with a bunch of other 30- and 40-somethings and then immediately shuffle home for a skincare routine and bedtime before midnight. I can’t wait! I’ll also be seeing my favourite French Canadien pop punk rockers Simple Plan this summer when they pass through Vancouver. I’m basically always guaranteed to be in their audience on the west coast. 🤘
She Was Holding The Matcha (Woah-oh): Every Christmas the last few years, I’ve faithfully contributed a tiramisu to the already-groaning table of food. But it’s something I’m thrilled to do because no one is ever unhappy to see a dish of mascarpone heading their way. It’s a no-bake dessert I’ve made enough times now that it’s a snap to pull together. In the pursuit of whimsy, I have dabbled in expanding my tiramisu flavor portfolio. Last Easter, I gave my lady fingers a swim in a lavender earl grey concentrate. This year, for another springy twist, I tapped into a very TSS-core palette: matcha! I steeped some extra strong green tea for the biscuits to be dunked into, substituted a botanical gin over rum into the cream mix, and sifted this green tea coconut powder on top. Isn’t that color just mesmerizing? Per the original recipe’s instructions, the dusting should pile so thick you have to hold your breath when taking a bite!
In The Trenches: New in to my closet, just in time to wear on repeat all spring long, is this update on the classic trench. My previous trenchcoat had served me well for many years. But it felt a little too fitted for my taste which has eased away from the contoured silhouette that used to be in favor. This trench has a more relaxed silhouette and a beautiful drape. It sways! It swooshes! But it still feels tailored and polished. It is indeed oversized but after trying out both the XS and S, I opted for the small. Those extra inches make room for wearing this with both slimmer tees as well as bulkier knits. Versatility that felt important in a transitional piece like a trench. For added fun, I styled the same neutral base (tee, jeans, flats) with the two trenches in my closet including this green one that I call a “colorful neutral.”
When Life Gets Hard - Facial: I’m typically a proponent of the languishing and relaxing facial. Dimmed lights. Eucalyptus-scented air. Spa-like music that puts you to sleep. A 90 minute timer on the clock for my skin to be cleansed, treated, massaged, basked over. For my fellow Vancouver locals, Formula Fig is not that. Fig caters to a time-crunched client who wants to squeeze in her relaxation into a 30 minute bubble between hustles and who prioritizes efficiency over leisure. I’ve visited their locations before and recently booked a pair of appointments to treat my mom for her birthday (69 years young!) before a dim sum lunch. Their appointments do come with a bunch of fun bells and whistles. Plus of course I can’t resist their decor. I’m sure you can guess why 💚. I left my appointment feeling so refreshed and juicy. They squeeze in a lot in a short span of time.
If you prefer a more luxurious long appointment, Skoah offers 75 minute sessions for those who want to be pampered and relax. I find Fig lands closer to tech-driven treatments (microdermabrasion, red light therapy, etc). For the next step up, I credit Glow Therapy and their microneedling sessions for transforming my skin and healing a lot of acne scarring. I’ve been a client for so long I remember getting microneedling from the founder, Amanda, in a single room she rented in Fairview. All these years later, I’m still such a fan that I’ve booked myself in for a pack of those this year to give my skin a jumpstart ahead of what’s turning out to be a very busy fall ahead that’s filled with travel.
The Ranking of a Showgirl: I somehow missed Billboard’s ranking of The Life of a Showgirl when they first published it in-step with their album review back in October. It resurfaced last week when the publication linked out to it anew on their socials at the end of March. Needless to say I was stunned. STUNNED. As were many of you, judging by the thousands(!) of DMs I got over on Instagram when I gave their list a renewed glance.
To be clear, rankings of basically any variety will elicit response given how subjective taste can be. I’m sure mine, below, will draw gasps! This fandom contains such a range — a characteristic I’m always in awe of. As a TSSer said to me in response to Billboard’s editorial grading of the tracklist: “One of my favorite things about being a Swiftie is how every one of us has different favorite songs! I’m never not surprised by someone’s favorite!” Put that last part in a frame, STAT!
❤️🔥 ICYMI: I covered, in detail, both your thoughts and mine on The Life of a Showgirl from release week. I look forward to revisiting these feelings at years’ end for the one year anniversary of The Life of a Showgirl.
That said, given we are now just over six months post-release, it got me thinking and made me want to revisit the album and my own ranking …