A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica

If you’ve been asking “Why aren’t more podcasts talking about Magic Mike’s Last Dance and Girl Scouts?” you’ve come to the right place. Shall we??   What do the critics have to say about Magic Mike? Here’s Shirley Li at The Atlantic, Emma Specter at Vogue, A.O. Scott at the NYT, Richard Brody at The New Yorker, Bob Mondello at NPR, and Kyle Smith at the Wall Street Journal.    Channing’s look right now! Specifically this Met Gala pic and this Variety cover! He and Zoë Kravitz share a stylist, Andrew Mukamal (who was featured on Kell on Earth—see also: this Interview interview with Kelly Cutrone).     If you’re into the business side of Magic Mike, check out WSJ’s story “For Magic Mike, Channing Tatum Looked for Strippers Moms Could Love.” As for Channing’s other creative projects: Sparkella, Born & Bred Vodka (more from BonApp), and the much-hyped romance novel he’s writing with Roxane Gay. (Unrelated but also totally related, Tessa Bailey’s reverse-harem romance Happenstance.)     Oh, Girl Scouts, preparing girls to meet the world with courage, confidence, and character since 1912! We love the logo redesign by Collins, and if you need a cookie source, buy them from Troop 6000, a first-of-its-kind program designed to serve families living in temporary housing in the New York City shelter system, or from trans girls around the country.    Another scouting org we love: Radical Monarchs, which creates opportunities for girls and  gender-expansive youth of color—this doc is great.   Share your Magic Mike reviews with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership. This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode. Try out professional counseling with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link. Help your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.   Get more out of your bread with Hero Bread—10% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO. Sleep well with Boll & Branch—get 15% off your first set of sheets when you use the promo code ATHINGORTWO. YAY. Produced by Dear Media

Our two new favorite terms and a bunch of thoughts on what to eat (such a conundrum, always, why?), coming at you on this week’s episode. Dig in!   Ok, food things: We’re big fans of the the Food52 Simply Genius cookbook (and Food52 Genius Desserts, too) by Kristen Miglore. To start, try the 5-minute tomato sauce from Heidi Swanson (which reminded Claire of this slightly more complicated sauce she had last summer) and Canal House’s chicken thighs.   Some other cooking wins: this polenta soup recipe from Christopher Kimball, oven-fried artichokes, Ali Slagle’s cheesy white bean tomato bake, and Toro Bravo's radicchio salad with manchego vinaigrette.     This Eater story by Jaya Saxena speaks to our love of tiny spoons and brought this amazing T-shirt to our attention.   Let us know your tiny spoon stance at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.  This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode. Level-up your bread with Hero Bread—10% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO. Get that MBA with The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. YAY. Produced by Dear Media

This week, we’re talking Thingies with Rachel Seville Tashjian Wise, fashion news director at Harper's Bazaar and creator of the coolest invite-only newsletter on the block, Opulent Tips. Also, we bring you more CRINGE.   To ride the cringe wave, check out this perfect Julie Houts post, Yasi Salek and the podcast Bandsplain (friends, the T-shirt), and the newsletter Club Leftist Tennis’s installment “Tennis is for Weirdos” by Kate Wagner. Also, NYT’s misread of cringe.   Rachel’s Thingies: hats (including ones from The Hat Shop, Amy Downs, and Gigi Burris), collections of strange objects (see also: Leanne Ford’s Feel Free mag), the weird Hitchcock movies like Vertigo (for more good blond wigs: Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express), designers who are creating wardrobes (including Toteme, Casey Casey, The Row, Sofie D'Hoore, Lauren Manoogian, 7115 by Szeki, Lafayette 148—read Rachel’s story for more on this!), and this profile of Judith Thurman along with her book, Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller.   Some other things discussed: the Isaac Mizrahi doc Unzipped, the brands Puppets and Puppets and Luar, the Lydia Tár Twitter account, Spur Jewelry’s usage of close friends, and Etéreo Vintage.    Have thingies you want to share? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership. This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.   Try our beloved ecomm platform, Shopify, and get a free 14-day trial with our link. Explore an MBA with The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. Get more out of your bread with Hero Bread—10% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.   Produced by Dear Media  

Hello, this is she! Today we’re reaching into a grab bag filled with TVs, social omnivores, room dividers, and favorite internet follows.    For more on the social omnivore, check out this Bon Appétit article by Ali Francis.    Room dividers have come a long way—see: Lichen, The Inside, Sarah Ellison's for DWR, and Sight Unseen’s round up.   Delightful follow number one: Emily Sundberg and her newsletter Feed Me. She wrote "Whole Milk Mounts its Triumphant Comeback" and "Welcome to the Shoppy Shop" and recently surfaced this 2019 interview with Kevin Systrom by Stella Bugbee, too. (Related-ish newsletters: After School by Casey Lewis and Public Announcement c/o Chris Black and James Ellis.)   Number two: Delia Cai, whose debut novel Central Places is out now—*please* see also: her IG for the book, her Twitter account, and her interview on this pod. (Other v specific IG follows: @smallbizmemez and @dankartdirectormemes.)   Number three: the financial-literacy TikToker Seema Sheth aka Bobeema and her financial cleanse series. Speaking of $$ stuff, Carl Nassib’s compound interest lesson from Hard Knocks and Women and Money by Suze Orman.   Finally, this tweet (by Lily Marotta, co-host of the Celebrity Book Club podcast) transported us.    Where is the TV in your home? How you you answer the phone? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership. This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode. Look into getting an MBA with The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. YAY.  

Break out the headphones because have recommendations for those looking for audio-based catharsis, starring revenge songs and an insightful podcast about grief. Also: We’re redefining our relationship with restaurants and asking men to start paying more attention to the parenting discourse.   Some ideas for your next revenge playlist: “BZRP” by Shakira, “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift, “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Gaslighter” by The Chicks, “Love Yourself” by Justin Beiber, “Cherry” by Harry Styles, “Irreplaceable” by Beyoncé, “You Oughta Know” by Alainis Morrisette, “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood, “Kerosene” by Miranda Lambert, and “I Hope” by Gabby Barrett.    We also highly recommend you check out the discography of Beverly Glenn-Copeland.    More for your ears: Anderson Cooper’s podcast All There Is. Start with the "Anticipatory Grief" and "Molly Shannon’s Unspeakable Loss" episodes.    If you’re in NYC and looking to redefine your restaurant experience, try Gjelina for bfast, Wagamama for lunch, and Joe’s Shanghai—or your Michigan Stars—for dinner.    On the current state of social media: Kyle Chayka’s New Yorker piece “The Year in Apps I Gave Up On.”   We want/need your thoughts on vintage! Share them with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.   This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give professional counseling a go with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.   Support your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.   Explore an MBA with The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.   YAY.   Produced by Dear Media

We have some follow-ups, ok?? Let’s revisit induction stoves, slipping rib syndrome, living with longing, being in touch with your younger self, and, of course, jibbitz—specifically ones featuring a grandpa’s face.    Oooh, has that induction cooktop convo heated up! Read this from the Public Interest Research Group on the Inflation Reduction Act (and $$$), this Bloomberg article “US Safety Agency to Consider Ban on Gas Stoves Amid Health Fears,” an installment of Michael Thomas’s Distilled newsletter “I Measured the Pollution From My Gas Stove. It Was Bad,” Alison Roman’s Twitter AMA, and Remodelista’s guide to compact induction cooktops/ranges.    To learn more about zankha, Lina Mounzer's Twitter thread (and the related Reddit post).    Speaking of dishware, Heller Vignelli’s is back at MaMA Design Store! Read more about it here.   Kate’s Butter, a Thingies award winner, changed its packaging :( :( :( More on the flattening of design from a Business of Fashion op-ed by John Whelan "The Revolution Will Not Be Serifised: Why Every Luxury Brand’s Logo Looks the Same."    This Death, Sex & Money Podcast episode with The Daniels!! And Daniel Kwan's related IG post!!    Finally, how could we not to turn a corner on jibbitz after watching this TikTok of Liam Ryan presenting his grandchildren with Crocs and *jibbitz with his face on them*. Which reminded us of this WSJ story “When Grandma Is a TikTok Star and the Grandkids Are the Managers.”    Are there any topics from previous episodes you want us to revisit? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! For a whole lot more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.   Download the free Zocdoc app and book that doctor’s appointment. Let’s do it. Get that good sleep with Boll & Branch—get 15% off your first set of sheets when you use the promo code ATHINGORTWO. YAY. Produced by Dear Media

We’re giving you the styling and Thingies scoop with our special guest Lakyn Carlton! Bonus scoop: the pros and cons of scooped-out foods.   Introducing the scooped-out pizza, ℅ Minnesota’s Hazelwood Food & Drink. And leave it to the New York Post to provide scooped-out bagel commentary in 2010 and 2016.   Get more Lakyn via her fantastic newsletter True Style and her virtual and in-person styling sessions.   Lakyn’s Thingies include Muddy Paw Coffee in L.A. for a dog-friendly coffee experience (and proximity to one of her go-to vintage shops, The Curatorial Department), her Bown of London robe (additional robe content: ones from Block Shop and Ulysses and the romance novel Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn), and a custom doormat from TheDoormatory on Etsy.   Share your take on pizza with salad and/or personal style at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! Try out a Secret Menu membership for more recommendations.   Do ecomm right with Shopify. Get a free 14-day trial with our link. YAY.   Produced by Dear Media

Buckle in, listeners, because we’re diving head-first down the rabbit hole of *cringe*. What does cringe look like these days? How do we embrace it—the good kind? How do cut everyone (ourselves included) some cringe slack?   If you’re not getting our newsletter!   Today’s prompt: Nell Diamond’s repost of a tweet from @isabelunraveled. (For more on Nell, founder of Hill House Home, dip into these profiles from New York Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar.)   The Justin Long post. Discuss!   For some cringe backstory: Kaitlyn Tiffany’s story “How Did We Get So ‘Cringe’?” for The Atlantic.   We had to revisit Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic—because avoiding cringe and chasing perfectionism are related…no? See also: Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel, David Brandon Geeting’s installment of the Perfectly Imperfect newsletter, and the edition of Kaelen Haworth’s Kael Mail newsletter about ins but no outs.    Check out Her Country by Marissa R. Moss. Among the themes: how Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, and Mickey Guyton gave up on wanting people to like them to find success.     On finding affection for your younger self: this Anne Helen Petersen newsletter, Jonah Hill’s doc Stutz, the podcast Mortified, Justin Cooley on his role in Kimberly Akimbo, and Mo Willems in the NYT.   A definition of post-cringe; an example of post-cringe: Kaitlin Phillips.   How are you embracing cringe? Who’s your cringe-spiration? We need your thoughts at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! For a whole lot more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.   Download the free Zocdoc app and book that doctor’s appointment—now’s the time! Help out your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY. Produced by Dear Media

We are rejuvenated-ish from our holiday breaks and are ready to fill you in on winter-wedding dress codes, the pegboard discourse, sexy high school, and, ope!, more Midwest updates.   Our discussion about wedding dress codes brings us back to Kayleen Schaefer’s story for The Cut “The Bride and Groom Formally Request That You Dress Up.” And for actual winter beach dressing, see this 2017 Vogue cover and Harrison Ford’s shorts with sweaters.    We loved this 2019 NYT story about how brand names become generic.      Re: pegboards, Julia Child’s is obv the ultimate, but for mini ones, look to Quark and Little Anana.    If you’re also disillusioned by movie trailers, read this Vox story by Alissa Wilkinson. (Also, we endorse She Said the movie…but She Said the book more.)   Next time you're in the Midwest, get kringle from O&H Danish Bakery or a *kringle single* from Racine Danish Kringles.   What foods are you sneaking into the movies? Let us know 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And try out a Secret Menu membership for a whole lot more recommendations. This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode. Take care of your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.   Produced by Dear Media

This week’s conversation knows no bounds! We’ve got key limes, medical answers via TikTok, makeup-buying IRL, a photo-minded Instagram follow, induction stoves, and a solution to the silicone storage bags issue (because there is one).   Have you made Alison Roman’s take on key lime pie? It involves yogurt/sour cream, a win if you ask us. Related-ish: Leaked Recipes: The Cookbook: A Collection of Over 50 Recipes Found in the World's Biggest Email Leaks and the Stories Behind Them, Neiman Marcus’s “leaked” cookie recipe, and Bill Smith's Atlantic Beach Pie.   Um, medical updates, coming through! Thanks to @roseytimestwo for bringing slipping rib syndrome to our attention. Also: Our pitch for Capsule for your prescription needs still stands (and check out Alto Pharmacy if Capsule doesn’t serve your city).    Shopping in-person brought the impressive Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops into Erica’s life (paired with a brush from Vapour).   If you’re over storage bags soaking up the scent of your dish soap, try HoldOn for compostable kitchen (and garbage!) bags.   For an incredible lens into imagery’s impact on society, Emily Keegin and her IG is blowing Claire away.    To learn more about induction stoves, dig into this Fast Company article and Melissa Clark’s NYT story and follow what Copper (thanks for sharing, Sofia!) and Impulse are up to.    Have thoughts on any and all of this to share? Reach out to us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join ur Geneva! For a whole lot more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.   This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode. Try professional counseling with BetterHelp—now’s the time!—and take 10% off your first month with our link. YAY.   Produced by Dear Media