The Monthly Edit: March!
The inner monologue of a psychology-obsessed style writer in new york city
Bonjour, my black swans!
Is it just me or did March fly by at the speed of anti-Timothée commentary? Between getting everything ready for my massive project launch, travels, keeping up with book clubs, posting 3x daily, learning to code, actually taking my vitamins, cooking as many meals as possible, going to the gym, learning French and working full time, I might have finally bit off more than I can chew?? Ah, but who would I be without the delightful buzz of caffeine in my ear and my prized obsessions?!
A typical Tuesday in the month of March:
Wake up at 6am, hit snooze until 6:15. Carefully get out of bed and tip-toe around the labyrinth that is my polly-pocket sized Manhattan bedroom (without waking Nick or pushing over my bookcase of shoes, therefore waking up Draco and beginning the calamity), brush my teeth (I don’t know how people wait until after coffee, if I wait more than five minutes to brush my teeth I want to rip my gums out), apply my serums, moisturizer, walk around with my Nuface pressed to my collarbones, grab a protein shake from the fridge, plop down on the couch, open laptop and type until around 9.
From 9-9:20, I get dressed, light glam, accessorize until my earlobes hurt, grab the lunch I made the night before, activate Morning Walk™ playlist, and I’m on my way (running) to catch the express train. On school days my closet operates like a vending machine, but Friday night through Sunday evening my wardrobe is the buffet at the country club of my dreams. Endless options, unlimited time, back again and again to change, readjust, gorge and make elaborate concoctions. Fridays have a much sexier morning routine, thats when I see my trainer (Hi, Bri!) which produces so many endorphins I feel like a dolphin in a Lisa Frank painting. I want to be able to do a backbend and the splits before the end of the year, so if you have any tips, tricks, stretching routines, or incantations I should incorporate, please let me know :)
The 9-5 flies by, and I get to see all the lovely people I’ve passed every day for the past 2.5 years. My coffee shop guy, the guy in the Ferrari store, the woman on security at the bank. I don’t know if its my midwest roots or if I’m even more like Elle Woods than I thought, but I love saying hi! and waving to the people I see every day. It makes the city feel like a little community, and I dunno, its comforting.
On the train home I either edit videos or read a book if my eyes are burning (usually happens if I forget my blue light glasses) and when I get home I shed my exoskeleton and hit the gym as soon as possible. 30 minutes of weights, 40 minutes of cardio, and one Alani energy drink for good luck (have you had the pink slush flavor? It’s the color of the energizer bunny if the energizer bunny was electrocuted. Highly recommend.)
After the gym, Nick (husband <3) and I will usually watch a show, exchange the hot goss of the day and have dinner together. We sit on the floor Japanese-style and eat on our black marble table in the living room. Our knees touch and we love to pick what plates and cups to use each evening. We have quite a weird and fabulous collection of plates, cups, placemats and glassware. We (I) have a strict no-plastic rule, so even when we drink Our Elixir (Zero Sugar Canada Dry & Dad Grass), it will always be inside some kind of crystal goblet, or a spiky little tumbler. Our current programming is either re-runs of The Legend of Vox Machina (the best show ever created, please HURRY UP WITH SEASON 4), The Mighty Nein (same request for the love of the dawn-father), High Potential, AP Bio, and Bob’s Burgers (who am I without Bobs Burgers reruns?) This usually concludes around 830, when we both go back to our personal projects until roughly 10:30, play Connections and The Purring Test in bed where I inevitably pass out as Draco leaves me to go sleep in his room (what we call his bed underneath our bed).
I cannot wait!
until I have unlimited time to make my wardrobe and jewelry collection into a full-scale potions laboratory. I love giant rings, bulbous jewels, I love to layer and layer until my chiropractor scolds me like a child caught rummaging through great-grandmas armoire. There is so much glamour in the details, the spice and delight of something strange! One of my all-time favorite icons is Iris Apfel, and she is the gold standard for me in all things accessories. She looked like a walking bibliography and I find that so intoxicating. Like my fascination with watching chess savants, I could have just stare at her all day. Fun fact: I tried to win this coat of hers when it went on sale at Christies, but I was beat out by someone who paid more than triple my asking price. As a side note, do we think they dry clean those items before sale, or do you think people want to smell like the person who wore it? Or moreover, do you think people want to be able to smell the person on the item itself, like a way to inhabit, a method-acting horocrux?
I finished The Secret History and have…so many thoughts. One of the biggest things that stood out to me was the style of each of the characters.
My obsession with this was catalogued, recorded, deleted (WHY) and then re-recorded here:
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The way they were described was so vivid, so real, its one of the few stories I can think of where without the detail of clothing, garments, accessories or lack-thereof, the story would have fallen flat. I want to create study guides, rubrics for my favorite books to discuss these kinds of themes, how clothing is so important even in settings we cant see it, we must imagine it. I think that makes it even more compelling, not to mention the part it plays in power, allegiance, diligence, and mourning.
Speaking of books, ACOTR is releasing two more books and…. I am so excited. If you read this series, tell me which one was your favorite, and why is is the second one?
My bank account is always screaming, on account that I treat it more like a vault at Gringotts that magically and perpetually overflows, HOWEVER! IT’S VINTAGE SEASON! One of my followers on tiktok (@theangelicamis) creates videos with entire listings of when and where they’ll be, and not only do I want to go, but I want to shop with you! We can split a cheeky smoke and rifle through clothes like Eloise at the Plaza.
Specially, im looking for: old playboys, vogues, brooches, statement rings, socks (is that gross?) something argyle, and maybe some fun hair accessories. I just recently started ‘doing’ my hair, and I want to style it more with accessories.
I’m running late (what’s new) and have to hit publish now or never, so if you’ve read this far, thank you! I know this is a total deviation from what I normally write about, but my hope (goal?) is to make part of The A List more personal, so you can get to know more about me as a person, and not just the person who is obsessed with what you wear 😛 Talk to me in the comments, tell me what you did this month, I am endlessly curious and as always, so so thrilled to be with you, here. :)
With great personal aesthetic,
Alexandra Diana, The A List
Girl. The more I read you the more I feel like we were made on the same factory and shipped off to different countries. Obsessed.