When my family and friends talk about the winter we had, they act as though they’re having flashbacks from the great war. They aren’t far off, it was pretty miserable, and we deserve nothing more than a reward for going through that.

The reward took a hot minute, but when it finally came, it was enjoyed to the fullest by Olivia Hawkins.

This weekend was cause for a few different celebrations. Two of my oldest friends, Grace and Lucy, were celebrating their joint birthdays on Friday and Saturday, all of my home friends and I, including Sophia who lives in Tampa and Grace and Lucy’s college friends, gathering together to have somewhere between 6-20 margaritas in a small, beautiful 48-hour window.

We started at Brooklyn Crab, a three-story riverside joint in Red Hook that sells Aperol Spritzes the size of your torso and the opportunity to add on an inflatable flamingo drink holder for $3 with your margarita, in addition to crabs of all variety and size. I’ve always wanted to go here, and Grace made my dreams come true (classic) with a beautiful table right at 7:45, just in time to watch the sun turn blood orange and hot pink behind the Statue of Liberty right before our eyes.

I had a blue crab roll that was pretty good not great, but enough watermelon margaritas to convince the 14 of them to go have a nightcap at Sunny’s around the corner, where the band was done playing for the night and none of us had cash. I plaid sugar mamma, handing out 20’s for my gals to get ciders and vodka sodas before calling a Lyft without telling anyone until it was too late to turn back.

In my defense, we had a long day ahead, because not only was Grace and Lucy’s official party on Saturday afternoon, but I also had my friend Channon’s 30th birthday later that evening, and my friend Kat’s going away party that night.

I kicked off Saturday by creating a solid base in my stomach to power me through the day at Landmark Coffee, where I had chocolate chip French toast, eggs, sausage, and homefries.

First stop was Lucy and India’s apartment for drinks on their roof and gifts. We had High Noons and took approximately 500 photos with the Empire State Building in the back before heading over to Sunday’s Well in Kips Bay. This bar was great if you’re in the birthday or mezcal margarita market.

Our beautiful Boston bestie, Hartley, surprised Lucy, Grace, and the rest of us by showing up about halfway through. No one will believe me when I say now that I had a weird feeling she may do that, but I did, I swear.

After running up a $100 bar tab, I dragged my boyfriend and my Tommy to Channon’s 30th birthday at spring (bar) on Madison and Market. We were the firsts on the scene besides the honorary birthday gal herself (classic), and I battered them with “HOT” stickers and myself with an “I <3 CHAN” tattoo before making a mad dash so that I wouldn’t embarrass myself in front of the coworkers I would have to see just a day later.

Me and my two dates escaped across the Williamsburg Bridge to our final destination of the night—Kat’s going away party at FourFiveSix. I am probably going to seem like Alix Earle to my mother while she reads this, but this part of the night is a little fuzzy. I remember spilling mezcal margarita all over my Citizens of Humanity cargo pants, and then getting in an Uber shortly thereafter while curating my perfect Taco Bell order. I was finding shredded cheese on my carpet until Monday.

Sunday, my boyfriend and I had an early wake-up call to head over to Rockaway Beach for a day trip. We boarded the 10:02 ferry (my second ferry trip of the weekend and second of the entire summer) and staked our ground by 12:30. I lost my new Target sunglasses in the waves (which was entirely my fault) but besides that, I thoroughly enjoyed my first time to Rockaway. We connected in Red Hook on the way home and stopped by Tavern Next Door for dinner—Red Hook Tavern’s latest venture where they serve the exact same burger.

The burger was really good but salty. My martini was perfect and the stuffed olive was even more perfect. The wedge salad? The most perfect! If you don’t feel like doing the whole song and dance that Red Hook Tavern requires, I’d recommend.

As it’s Monday night and I A) missed today’s Coffee Order and B) am ready to go to sleep before the sun is fully down, it’s safe to say that this weekend was not restful but worth it nonetheless. I have the best friends, not even a summer nor’easter can get me down.

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The Hamptons are exasperated. The latest fleet from Love Island U.S.A. have landed in Los Angeles and hit the streets, hard. Movie theaters are flooded. We don’t have an official song for the third-ish summer in a row. New York City is being slammed with random, violent 10-minute storms. The dust from the World Cup has settled.

There’s a lot happening that doesn’t matter at all. But that’s what makes the summer so fun—it’s the least serious season. You can use it as an excuse for anything. I don’t want to work today, it’s summer. I need to drink tonight, it’s summer. I should buy this, it’s summer. Let’s go to Europe, it’s summer.

My summer has been great. I’ve spent a lot of it watching things and consuming even more (both physically via my digestive track and emotionally via keeping up with twelve or so strangers for ten weeks). Last week, I spent time complaining about everyone caring too much about the negative news. This week, I’d like to care too much about the “positive”, or to be more fair, neutral, unrelated news to me personally.

Let’s get started with the crew from Love Island U.S.A.

I was very satisfied with the winners of season 8, Trinity and Bryce. I am even more satisfied to see their post-island press presence, from their paparazzi walk with a pink-wigged Melanie (M-A-J-O-R) to their interview with People, everything just genuinely makes me so happy. At the risk of sounding “unc”, they are truly 2016 in the best way and evoke a feeling in my heart that is just, happiness and joy. I am so happy for them, especially since they seem to really deserve the $100,000.

With the rise of certain Islanders comes the fall of all of the Islanders before them, some worse than others. Unfortunately when you’re on a reality game show one season and don’t return the next, your star fades more and more with each season that passes, until you go from the front row at Canes Fashion Week for probably $500,000 to breaking up your fake relationship to get a headline.

I obviously never believed Nicolandria as far as I could throw them. The most romantic thing they ever did was a cover for Glamour magazine, and I’ve seen two models in a perfume ad look more in love than these two did for even that:

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Jeans are personal. Individual. No pair fits the two people the same. This statement rings so true for women around the world that they even wrote a movie about the potential of a single pair of pants fitting an entire friend group:

It used to be all about designer denim. Gloria Vanderbilt, Donna Karan New York (now DKNY), Calvin Klein, etc.

Then, it became about affordable denim. Think Old Navy, GAP.

In the mid-2010s, it was all about vintage denim. Entered the Tumblr-era obsession with finding the perfect 501s and overpaying about $100 for them. I scoured Connecticut for something that would look like a girl in a Brandy Melville ad (obviously, to no avail).

Now, we’re in a time of celebrity collaboration denim.

If you don’t have a jean, you may as well consider yourself more of a loser than the people who don’t get invited to the MET Gala or that creepy Michael Rubin White Party. Companies like American Eagle, Lucky Brand, and Frame have figured out that the Gen-Z customer is down for some denim designed by one of their favorite it-girls.

I’m a sucker for a collaboration. I blame my mother, because I have memories of going to Target to pick up the Liberty London and Missoni collections the day they came out. I try to get early access to as much as I can on GAP, and if I really want something, I’ll find a way to get it, whether it’s on eBay or StockX.

To speak of my mother again, in case you didn’t know, she is a certified girl boss. I’ve been around her ideating, negotiating, and executing special collections designed with Bella Hadid, Danielle Bernstein, Taylor Hill, Julian Edelman, and the Foster Sisters for the last decade. I’ve seen what it takes to make something that sells, particularly, a great pair of jeans.

When I saw that Hailey Rhode Baldwin Bieber, basically the current president of the it-girl community, had scored a GAP collaboration (or should I say, GAP scored her), I thought 2 things: 1. I thought she had a contract with DKNY;

And 2. I need those jeans.

In addition to the Hailey 1996 Extra Loose Baggy Low Rise that I acquired last week (via sending my sister to the GAP store), I will also be showcasing what I think about two other pairs that have been generously given to me: the Brooks Nader x Hudson Jeans, and the Addison Rae x Lucky Brand Ultra Low Rise Flare.

For reference, I’m 5’5” (I think that I’ve grown to 5’6” but I need to consult my doctor), and typically fall between a 26/27 depending on the brand.

Let’s start out with Brooks.

These jeans are a 25 which I have not been since probably high school. They’re also supposed to be a baggy boyfriend jean, which does not translate outside of Brooks Nader’s body type, one unattainable to most gals such as me. The denim is crazy soft, I wear these on days where I want to be cozy and comfortable, and this light wash is very pretty as well.

Rating: 👖👖👖

Now, onto Addison. I have both a light and a dark wash.

These are a 27 and they don’t button. They are ultra, ultra low rise, so maybe it has something to do with my hipbones. I covered my rear in the light pair for modesty. I think these would be amazing on a girl who is perhaps newly-seventeen or perhaps a contestant in an Alix Earle Lookalike Contest. The fabric is very rigid and there is little-to-no room for stretch.

Ra(e)ting: Addison I love you, I just need a 28 or a 29. 👖

Last. The main event. The Hailey Extra Baggy Jean from Hailey Bieber and GAP.

I got these in a 27 and the wash called light indigo. I could’ve definitely gone with a 26, but I’d rather be able to have these for the foreseeable future and not be afraid that I won’t fit into them. The zipper being elongated shows just how big they are on me, which is the only negative I have. They do fall perfectly below my belly button, and extend beyond my foot which is the fit I’m into at the moment. The fabric is somewhere between Brooks and Addison, rigid, but not without a slight stretch and live-in wearability that GAP is famous for.

Rating: 👖👖👖👖👖

I have to say, these gals know how to make some jeans. Some celebrities in the future that I would love to see make their own pair this year are Tate McRae, Devon Lee Carlson (she kind of did for Reformation, but let’s get serious), and dare I say…Ciara Miller. When I’m right about this, you know where to find me.

Here are some of my favorite non-collab jeans that I swear by:

• The Tommy Low Slung Super Straight from Favorite Daughter

• The Valentina High Rise from Favorite Daughter

• Levi’s Baggy Dad (on sale for $60…run)

• Uniqlo JW Anderson Straight Jeans

• The Ryan Low Slung Baggy Jeans from Joe’s Jeans (on sale at Nordstrom Rack)

Twitter is basically obsessed with us. Everything that happens is turned into a media firestorm, wether it’s as big as the Knicks winning or as little as food poisoning.

I’m suffering from not only nano-smoke inhalation but also internet fatigue.

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It’s my favorite iced coffee from a national chain, has the best and most delicious dollar value menu items, and they love their customers right back. They give us free coffee all of the time, and their loyalty points system is phenomenal.

When I saw Dunkin tapped none other than my queen, Kylie Jenner, to curate her own menu specials for the summer, I was shook in ways I can’t even explain. Dunkin is unmatched in terms of collaborations—Charli D’Amelio, Sabrina Carpenter, Barbie, and now King Kylie? When people ask me where I see Coffee Order in five, ten years, there’s only one answer: a Dunkin menu special of our own.

While I wait, I wanted to test all of the King Kylie drinks for you guys. But I didn’t want to do that alone. I asked two of my Dunkin connoisseur comrades to assist. My sister Grace, and one of my best friends Tommy.

TOMMY DRENNAN

First off, what an honor to be writing for Coffee Order and speaking about two things I am incredibly passionate about: Dunkin and Kylie Jenner. I never thought this day would come.

She’s gorgeous, she’s funny, she’s dating a LaGuardia High School alum (my alma mater).

Dunkin has always been ever-present in my life. Growing up, my Nana would bring me a pink strawberry frosted doughnut every time she saw me, and any time I have one, it reminds me of her. I am also an avid Dunkin refresher drinker—my Strawberry Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher is my daily morning must-have. I feel like the gayest man in America walking into my fashion job with a giant pink drink, ready to start my day. This makes me very qualified to review this line-up of beverages.

The collab, entitled THE KING KYLIE COLLECTION, is in reference to her infamous era from around 2014 to 2016, for those of you who don’t know (which I am assuming is none of the Coffee Order community). King Kylie was almost the Sasha Fierce to her Beyoncé. It was her alter ego that lived solely on my Instagram and Tumblr feed, and I was OBSESSED. She was THE IT GIRL. Her bright color wigs, ultra-matte nude lips, Cartier Love bracelet stack, sky-high Louboutins, Tisci-era Givenchy tees, and of course, her relationship with the rapper Tyga, were the epitome of this era.

I love that she’s started to lean back into this era. (Does that mean Timothée is basically Tyga?) Most recently, she created a King Kylie collection for her own beauty brand and leaned back into the beauty trends of the mid-2010s as a way to celebrate 10 years of helping women (and gays) across America overdraw their lips.

The line-up for Dunkin includes 3 fabulous pinkity drinkitys (is Kylie shading James Charles? I hope). Here are my thoughts:

Pink Lemon Drop Suncloud Lemonade

Well, “what the hell is a Suncloud Lemonade?” you might ask. Good question. It’s a mix of lemonade and oat milk topped with a strawberry cold foam. Hmm. Intrigued but slightly repulsed? After trying it, I must say I’m surprised. The cold foam is the first hit and it’s very good—sweet and light with that hit of strawberry flavor. Fierce and fruity. Then we get to the oat milk/lemonade mix. On paper, it sounds really repulsive, but for whatever reason it really works? It’s refreshing and creamy. Honestly a good summer treat. I do feel like my stomach hurts after drinking three sips of this, but that could be for other reasons as well…

Rating: 6.5/10

Candy Pink Lemonade Refresher

Oh my God. The name even gives me chills… It is just perfect and so up my alley. This drink is a combo of dragonfruit, pink pineapple (is that a real fruit?), and lemonade, topped with dragonfruit pieces.

On first sip, I said “THANK YOU KING KYLIE.” I think Dunkin should add this to their regular menu. It’s a very strong dragonfruit flavor, but I loved it. Lowkey might get this on Monday? I’m not usually a fan of freeze-dried fruit pieces in my refreshers, but I was not that mad about the dragonfruit pieces here. This is also the one most similar to my everyday Dunkin order. Mine personally could have used a little more lemonade and a little less dragonfruit, but it’s Dunkin, and the cardinal rule of Dunkin is “you get what you get, and you don’t get upset.”

Rating: 8/10

Vanilla Pink Cloud Latte

I must preface this review by saying I do not drink coffee, nor do I like the taste of coffee, so maybe I’m not the most perfect person to review this drink, but I tried to be as unbiased as possible. This drink is basically an iced vanilla latte with the signature Kylie strawberry cold foam. I must say, if I was going to drink coffee, it would probably be this. The strawberry foam is ridiculously good — I would love to have a bottle of this in my home and eat it by itself. Now, the coffee, of course I didn’t like it, but that’s just due to personal reasons, so if you’re a Dunkin latte lover, this is a great drink to try.

Biased rating: 2/10

Unbiased rating: 7/10

After trying the three, the Candy Pink Lemonade Refresher is definitely my personal fav, but also, I have a limited palate, so maybe I’m not the best food reviewer in the world. The Suncloud Lemonade definitely ranks second, but try not to think too hard about the fact that you are drinking lemonade and oat milk, or else your stomach will start to hurt.

This collab is really a blessing (THANK YOU KING KYLIE!), and if you go out and try it, please share with the Coffee Order community!! Xoxo Tommy

OLIVIA & GRACE HAWKINS

Pink Lemon Drop Suncloud Lemonade

I would agree with Tommy that the idea of “Suncloud Lemonade” is confusing, but as a professional copywriter, I respect it. It’s kind of like how Hailey Bieber puts the word “peptide” all over her product because it sounds like the type of thing you want to be putting on your lips and face (or injecting). Drinking a “Suncloud” was almost enough for me to forget that oatmilk was mixed in.

Milk in beverages that it isn’t normally found in is one of my biggest OCD triggers, not to bring the vibe down for a moment. Dirty Soda is literally my worst nightmare. That said, I only planned on having one sip.

Yeah it’s good, but I agree. I don’t like the oat milk. I wouldn’t have another sip.

Olivia Rating: 3/10

Grace Rating: 3/10

Candy Pink Lemonade Refresher

I thought Grace would love this—

That’s good.

You don’t love it?

No.

Oh.

Olivia Rating: 7/10

Grace: 5/10

Vanilla Pink Cloud Latte

I don’t normally drink Dunkin’s espresso, I usually opt for just the iced coffee.

Same.

That’s really good.

Oh, you like it?

I would probably give it a 6/10. Grace is making a face.

I don’t like their French vanilla.

Olivia Rating: 6/10

Grace Rating: 4/10

Overall, I will support my queen in any of her endeavors, no matter what. Even if it includes oatmilk where it shouldn’t.

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I write over 100 times a year on Substack. I write all day at work. I’m no Belle Burden, but I feel as though this is something I’ve gotten a handle on in terms of my ability to do.

Some of you may have heard me discuss the book I’ve been wanting to write. I’m going to Copenhagen by myself in almost exactly a month from today to get it done. Why do I think I’m interesting enough to write a book? Maybe because my therapist conceded in a session recently that “the last few years have been a little crazy” for me. Maybe it’s because I was overly-loved as a child. Jury’s out.

This is not a memoir. It is fiction, but a lot of these things are based on my experiences since moving to Manhattan in 2022. I’ve never journaled, but working on this project makes me wish I did. I was in such a bizarre headspace for so long, learning so much about myself in these four years that followed college, which followed high school, which followed the rest of my life. It’s almost difficult to look back with the vision I have now, the headspace I’m in that’s much calmer, much more confident. Maybe it’s the frontal lobe.

The character is named Olivia because it makes it easier for me to write based on my lived experience. This will be confusing for some that begin to picture myself as her. That’s a burden that I am willing to take on.

I had the idea of sharing these preliminary chapters on Substack with my exclusive group of insiders to get feedback, see what works and what doesn’t, or if this is even something worth reading at all. I feel like a toddler jumping off of a high dive. The following is a chapter I wrote intended to be the first. I hope you like it.

Olivia stared at the skyline of the East Side of Manhattan that looked back at her. She wondered where her mom was, where Emily was, where Vincent was on that tiny island, separated from her by a vat of garbage water people were calling the Hudson River.

She looked down at her phone to see three texts from Miriam. While there was no established lunch break policy at Miriam’s office, she could usually get away for thirty minutes or so. She was pushing the hour mark at that point, but who cared. She certainly didn’t, anymore. Instead of responding, Olivia turned to lean down and extend her legs straight against the bench, back pressed firmly into the plastic that pitifully larps as wood.

The Bushwick Inlet Park hadn’t been there when she first started working for Miriam, so she could trust that the bench was clean enough for her to lay on, just for that moment. She dropped her phone on the dirt beneath her, folded her hands on her stomach, and let the tears roll out of the corner of her eyes and down her cheek. She could hear the drop hit the plastic next to her ear lobe. It was low tide which wasn’t a savory scent in New York City, but she deserved to feel the misery of rotting eggs stinging her nostrils. She deserved everything bad happening to her, it seemed. If only she knew why.

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I’ve had my first beach day and my first pool day respectively in the same weekend. My A/C is chugging along like Thomas the Train Engine, doing her best to spew some sort of relief into my apartment. My Scandinavian hairline is starting to show. I spend more time talking about the cast of Love Island USA more than my real friends, job, or anything actually happening to me. My shin is scraped from swimming in the Long Island Sound and hitting a rock. My hair has that weird film from the chlorine and humidity that no matter how many times I wash it, it won’t be the same until the temperature drops below 90.

I’m a week into being 26. Enrolling in insurance was way easier than I thought it was going to be. I’m having a lot more fun than I was when I was 25, but the activities of the past few weeks make it hard to not. Camp Olivia, multiple dinners with friends, heading back home to have a wholesome, good old fashioned Fourth of July with fireworks on the beach and sandbars and playing Rummikub and not feeling drunk despite drinking five or so High Noons, Love Island on 5/7 nights of the week—who’s luckier than me?

Before writing this, I wrapped up Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, a book that some are saying is the title of the summer, some of whom I would be in agreement with. My friend Rae told me to read it, and I immediately picked it up from the McNally in Williamsburg on my lunch break, finding myself day in and day out completely engrossed in its ridiculous, brilliant plot—a successful “trad wife” influencer wakes up one morning transported back in time to 1805, unsure how she got there or how to get back to her luxurious, seemingly-perfect life. I won’t spoil the ending because the ending wasn’t spoiled for me and I love a surprise, but I promise it’s worth the read for a maniacally hilarious, engrossing ride. This is the type of book that makes me think writers are genius, and hopes one day I can replicate something just as great myself.

Speaking of Yesteryear, I felt like I was in my very own time-traveled situation after our power went out in Connecticut due to extreme heat Saturday evening around 7:30, and didn’t come back on until 4 AM. It was so hot I thought that my organs were cooking inside of my stomach, and the fireworks my neighbors were shooting off in their free time sounded like muskets straight out of the Revolutionary War lineup. It was as if I woke up on July 4th, 1776. Almost exactly like that, however I had an iPhone and I was wearing Brandy Melville pajamas. At around 1:30, I asked my boyfriend if he thought it was possible I was having heat stroke, because my head was throbbing and I was in and out of consciousness responding to people in my dreams out loud to him in the room. He said no.

I feel extraordinarily lucky to have grown up where I did in Connecticut. The town was eerily empty and quiet for what I grew up knowing—roads closed for miles leading up to the annual firework show at the beach, traffic due to parades, night cap after night cap at random bars. This was almost better. It felt like a genuine vacation of peace and quiet, somewhere so close yet so far from my life in Manhattan, a place to enjoy the sound and the chlorine and my best friends and a sausage grilled by one of their fathers. I would like to flex at this point that I went the entire weekend unscathed by sunburn. I believe in miracles.

Due to the Saturday evening debacle, I’m feeling extremely grateful for power and air conditioning and television and the new computer I got for my birthday that I’m writing my first Coffee Order on right now.

The World Cup has seemingly caught me hook-line-and-sinker after I told everyone I couldn’t care less. I had a similar egg-on-face situation this weekend after defending Taylor Swift with my heart and soul to everyone from co-workers to my own family, insisting she would never actually get married at Madison Square Garden and that it was a complete farce. I’m rooting for Norway because I love how Erling Haaland looks and I’m pretty sure I’m slightly Norwegian or something (maybe a supportive relative reading this could correct me). It’s nice to have on in the background because you can read or focus on tasks without missing half of the plot. The United States men’s team does nothing for me, sorry to be so unpatriotic during our 250th birthday. They just became good and as someone who saw the USWNT come out during Bad Blood at the 1989 World Tour in 2016, I know where my loyalties lie.

If you’re looking for a Love Island update, my girl and guy rankings are as follows:

Girls:

1. Kayda

2. Melanie

3. Trinity

4. Kenzie

5. Aniya

6. Parmida

7. Titi

Boys:

1. Bryce

2. Corbin

3. Carl

4. Zach

5. Sincere

6. KC

7. Dylan

Couples:

1. Trinity and Bryce

2. Kayda and Zach

3. Parmida and Corbin

4. Aniya and Carl

5. Kenzie and Dylan

6. Titi and KC

7. Melanie and Sincere

I’m glad we’re working with a leaner team now after sending home five people who made zero impact. I really did not need an hour to see Gal get the boot, and Amora for the second time might I add. You may be shocked by my ranking of Corbin and Parmida, however them trying to get Melanie and Sincere off was tea, and it’s interesting to see Corbin on the right side of history about Sincere being two-faced. Like I said to Eliza:

The way Corbin was looking at Parmida during the deliberation, and the voice he used that was never-before-heard in love, he won me over. He looks like a Disney lion cub come to life, and he won me over.

I need a new book, what should I read? I had plans to watch The Sopranos, however it’s kind of the last thing I’d like to do at the moment. What should I watch? I may sub out the World Cup and Love Island tonight for Obsession, since I feel insane for have not watching it yet. Another thing that hasn’t been spoiled for me, but how long can I test my luck?

Let’s talk about beach/pool things I need to survive during the summer as a fair-skinned ginger woman:

1. This sunscreen is the best of the best. Multiple people borrowed it from me this weekend and got a surprise glow. I use it from my scalp to my chest.

2. For the rest of my body, I would recommend something like this, especially because of the sweat and water. I don’t want to know about all of the chemicals in it and how bad they are for me because few things work so well. If anyone has a cleaner alternative, let me know.

3. Really, deeply obsessed with this hat from Favorite Daughter. It’s basically a portable umbrella, and you can pack it without destroying it.

4. Another Favorite Daughter hat that I love if you’re a visor person and use retinol.

5. I got this coverup from the Target on Grand Street. It looks like it could be Doen (if you spin around 10 times and do a handstand).

6. The single best pair of flip flops on the planet. I ordered more because of writing about them just now, in Mint and Black.

7. Playing Rummikub with me is a sign of great respect in my culture, and if you mean business, you need a Rummiklub set.

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They are so good that my childhood best friends still talk about them. In first grade, we had “Olivia Idol”:

In second grade, we had a beach party at the lake by my house, where I learned what the term “powder room” meant at the age of 7:

In third grade, my mom organized my birthday to be in tandem with the premier of Camp Rock, set up inflatable couches in our living room for everyone to watch, and ordered 30 pairs of white converse for us to decorate. This one I cannot find photo evidence of, but my friend Shayna still has a scar on her neck from an incident with the bedazzler.

In fourth grade, we had iOlivia, to which I forced scripts upon my friends to act like we were on iCarly (the shirt is still in my closet):

The rest of my birthdays are a blur until about 21. My mom got my best friends and I rooms for the night at the Moxy in the East Village, we had dinner at Sauce (RIP) which was, unbeknownst to me at the time, just a stone’s throw from my first apartment, and then galavanted around the city until the wee hours of the night:

The only downside to her incredible, super-human party-planning abilities is that she’s created a birthday monster.

I care a lot about my birthday. I just want it to be really fun and I do not want anything to go wrong, as they have during high school and so on (I’m going to keep this an if you know, you know). I’m a Cancer, so I’m sensitive.

Turning 26 brought up a lot of melancholia for me. For some reason, the number felt incredibly old. Enrolling in insurance was very expensive and daunting. I’m closer to 50 than I am being born, which, for someone who feels mentally 15 at best, is a terrible feeling.

I obviously don’t mean any of this as a slight to my readers above 26, although there’s no way to make it sound like it’s not. It’s just the first birthday I wasn’t head over heels excited for, until it happened.

Around May, I decided that I didn’t want to spend my birthday in the city this year because although the last three have been fabulous, they’ve all been the same. Pregame at my apartment and go to Winnie’s. I don’t see those two events not happening in the next five years of my life, so why not switch it up now.

The best way to have your birthday paid for by your parents after you turn 18 is to have it at their house.

I decided to lean into the suburban, evergreen, backyard vibe that Connecticut provides and called it Camp Olivia. I told my mom I wanted hats and my great-grandmother’s ribs, and that’s all I knew walking into it. My ten-ish best friends from home and school boarded the Metro North to Fairfield and began our 24 hours of camper activity.

What I arrived to was an inflatable couch (a through line in my birthday parties since childhood), a full bar, cocktail tables, a dry-erase beer pong table, custom hats with vintage pins from Etsy to decorate with, grandma’s ribs in the croc pot, and the makings of everything you would need for the best birthday ever.

In the morning, my mom made a coffee/screwdriver/bloody mary bar and my favorite cheesy potatoes. More people decided to sleep over than originally planned which was the metaphorical cherry on top of the perfect, most beautiful cake made me, as well my favorite chocolate cake from The Pantry in Fairfield.

When I got back to the city, I got a drink at Hartley’s before having dinner at Sailor in Fort Greene, which I found to be excellent. Suddenly 26 was shaping up to be my best year yet, no matter how chopped and unc I felt.

This post is free because I didn’t post on Monday because of my birthday Sunday. I’m still giving away a coffee, though.

TODAY’S COFFEE ON COFFEE ORDER GOES TO: NICOLE!

Nicole won but doubled hers and gave it to India. Now is Nicole’s time to shine! Thanks Nicole, love ya!

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1. My best friends from college and I went upstate for the Fourth of July and had the best time ever

2. My mom, my sister, and I explored the North Fork

3. I got promoted at work into a manager position

4. I began learning pottery

5. I found the East River Park

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6. I went back to Georgia for the first time since graduating college

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As I write this, it’s 7 PM on the longest day of the year, Sunday, June 21st 2026. I went to bed at 1:30 and woke up at 7, tried and failed many times to go back to sleep, and then accepted defeat ahead of my Father’s Day lunch at Soothr. Since it’s the longest day of the year, it feels like 3 PM instead of 7. I will probably go to sleep while it’s still light out.

I went to bed so late because I was having an incredible weekend with my best friends from college. Elizabeth who lives in Nashville surprised Nicholson for his birthday, to which we began celebrating on Thursday night at my favorite restaurant, Raf’s. For his birthday, I gave Nicholson a FlameShot lighter shaped as a gun in pink, and it was a gift I’ve never been so excited to give in my life.

I had been dealing with some intense and mysterious stomach and chest pain this week that was hindering my ability to work, and quite frankly live, not to be dramatic. After multiple trips to City MD in multiple different boroughs, multiple different tests, they determined that my intestines were probably spasming. There was a point where I thought I had appendicitis, thought I was losing an ovary, thought it was just heartburn. It was a wild 48 hours, but I recovered in time to celebrate one of my favorite people.

Friday I was on the mend. I ran thousands of errands including voting, doing returns, getting my nails done, doing my laundry, etc., before meeting up with Eliza, Elizabeth, and Mandy on the way to Nicholson’s party at Sugar Hill Restaurant and Supper Club. I had never been to Sugar Hill but it was quite literally perfect. For once, people kept me away from the karaoke mic.

I had been looking forward to my outfit for a week. I’ve forgotten too many things to not utilize my Notes App to its fullest potential, and when inspiration strikes…

As you can read above, I wore a long sleeve ballerina-esque bralette from Los Angeles Apparel, a skirt I got from Gimaguas in Barcelona, and my beloved Maryam Nassir Zadeh Olympia Wedges.

Spending time with my college friends makes me especially nostalgic this time of year, as I get older and further away from when we first met. I feel incredibly lucky to still be close, if not more close with them now, but I can’t help but reminisce on what our time at SCAD was like. This is my fourth year in New York which is making me feel strange. So is turning 26 on Sunday, as you all know by now. I joked with Elizabeth that if we were in a long distance relationship it would be a healthy one with how much I see her for her living in Nashville.

On Saturday I woke up at noon, stumbled to La Colombe for a s’mores draft latte, and got myself together to have a good old fashioned girls day. I met Elizabeth, Eliza, and Mandy for a 2 PM breakfast at La Bonbonniere, one of my new favorite places, before going for a long walk and shopping around with Eliza’s roommate Caroline.

In an effort to reclaim youth, I bought this surprise Hello Kitty ramen trinket and was very happy with my results. I blame Mandy and her toy influence.

Unfortunately I was beginning to deteriorate due to my actions the night before, and after finding a random chair in Los Angeles Apparel and camping out for ten minutes, I decided I had to go home and regroup with the squad later.

We met for a late dinner at Dimes with the addition of our birthday boy, Nicholson. I love Dimes for the same reasons a bunch of people love Dimes—it’s laid-back vibe, robust menu, Wheatgrass Margarita, etc. I wore this top from Favorite Daughter, low rise baggy jeans from Redone, the same MNZ Olympia Wedges from Friday night, a sparkly Staud bag, and a necklace from Etsy.

I got a tuna tostada and some roasted carrots because I realized I couldn’t remember the last time I had a vegetable, forced my friends to take some more pictures because we don’t have enough together, and polished off my third Wheatgrass Margarita before we walked over to Time Again.

Time Again is always a vibe in the summer, especially if you’re vigilant enough to get a table. I had Father’s Day lunch the next day and didn’t want to be dry heaving in the bathroom during it, so I had a nightcap before walking to the $1.50 pizza place near my apartment and getting a good night’s rest (or so I thought).

Soothr has become a Hawkins family tradition. How lucky am I. We literally sat down, ate, and paid within 30 minutes, which was fine for us considering we don’t need to linger long together. I’ll be home in Connecticut for my birthday this weekend and the Fourth of July thereafter, so we’ll get some quality family time in as the summer progresses.

Writing this has not distracted me from the fact that I still have an hour until Love Island comes out. By the time you read this we will have entered Casa Amore. You know where to find me…

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Famously, the great Fran Lebowitz has suffered from writer’s block for over 30 years. Some things that Fran and I have in common is that we both love to share our opinions about New York City, we both complain, and we both struggle to find what to write about.

From time to time, a cop out that I use for this is to post on the Coffee Order Instagram Story asking for question submissions. While this is lazy of me, you have all liked it in the past, i.e. the dating Q&A I did a few months ago:

The Memorial Day sale guide:

And so on, and so forth.

I’m not sure why I feel qualified to give my thoughts on your various grievances or requests. I’ve always loved the idea of having an advice column, something that could even perhaps manifest into a voicemail or anonymous situation. Historically, in the case of Carrie Bradshaw, Miss Lonelyhearts, Dolly Alderton, or Joan Didion, these people all built legs to stand on out of storied careers. Me? I think I just post a lot of Create Mode stories.

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I decided that on Friday I needed some time to myself and my parasocial friends who are spending their summer in Fiji on Love Island. I had one last meal from the three that Goop Kitchen had sent me for signing up for updates on their Williamsburg location, a fresh Cafe Panna pint in the freezer, and hours worth of horrible (non-derogatory) television to watch.

As soon as I got comfortable—I didn’t think things could get better—a crack of thunder boomed throughout the Lower East Side, and the familiar patter of heavy raindrops hit my AC unit. It was the first night all week I had to myself between plans with friends and Knicks games to watch, and I couldn’t believe the universe was rewarding me with the best staying-in-weather in the world: a summer thunderstorm.

Everyone saying that Love Island USA is bad this season needs to practice patience. We’re two weeks into a long summer. This show is the definition of a marathon and not a sprint. We must give people like Corbin the benefit of the doubt, no matter how difficult he makes that for us.

On Saturday morning, I went to my first pottery session in a while. I decided to cancel my membership this month, and as sad as it is, I felt like I was going into overdrive in terms of creativity between my day job, this Substack, the book I’m working on, and something had to go. This last month is going to be focused on wrapping up projects and trying out anything I haven’t yet, and by the time it ends in the middle of July, I’ll be preparing for my summer travels anyway.

Pottery for me is like riding a bike. It’s more muscle intensive than people realize, but the benefit of that is the memory that’s created from repetition and practice. I will admit that once I got back on the wheel, I slightly regretted cancelling my membership because I remembered how much I love it. Life is hopefully long, and hobbies are supposed to be fun, not laborious. When it started to feel like a job is when I realized maybe I didn’t have the luxury of time to enjoy things like that, and that taking a step back doesn’t have to be permanent. Over the last 10 months I’ve made enough pieces to stock a Pottery Barn, so if you want something, let me know.

As discussed at length on Friday, the heat has been very difficult for me. Saturday is when I realized I needed to toughen up and embrace the summer, so I tossed on my Kith Women Halter Active Dress and headed for a spritz with my friend Jess at Bar Bianchi.

Bar Bianchi is one of those places that I think poorly of due to how fast it turned so cheesy. I went the first day it opened with my mom and sister and thought it was great, but it soon started to attract a crowd that I pretentiously don’t want to be a part of (interns, Utah Curl wearers, etc.) I will admit that I need to relax and not take myself so seriously. I’m not sure why I think I’m better than anyone else when it all boils down to a giant fishbowl of vodka and sparkling wine and Italian aperitivos. All was proven when I texted Jess:

As I always say—no need to reinvent the wheel.

I’m afraid of getting hit for saying this, but I was a little Knicked out by the time Saturday rolled around. I had gotten reservations for my friends on Monday and Wednesday, both at Half Pint, both mentally and physically exhausting, and I wasn’t necessarily longing to do that all over again on the most popular night of the week anyway. If you ever wanted to go to a restaurant that’s been on your list for a while, Saturday was the day. Everything was wide open since the majority of the city was in fact watching the game. Eliza and I ended up at an ole reliable for us, American Bar, at my favorite time, 9 PM.

I got this dress from the Urban Outfitters clearance section in I think high school, and speaking of ole reliables, it’s the ultimate (linked similar here). I paired it with Hugo Boss heels that were my mom’s when she was my age and worked there (linked similar), and my new Bottega Veneta clutch (linked similar) that feels like carrying a football around in the best way.

American Bar is great because of a lot of reasons. The martinis are all incredible, they have the best dinner salad in the city, and there’s always a pretty good crowd. With the exception of Saturday when the Knicks were inevitably going to win the championship, but the fact that Meredith and Seth Marks walked in and sat next to us about an hour into our meal was enough to set the vibe.

For some reason, I thought that we would be able to watch the game at Forgetmenot. Dimes Square was basically Times Square on New Years Eve. I saw Terrence O’Connor, Alana Haim, Brenda Hashtag, Isaac Likes, and about ten people from the Substack community alone when trying to find a view of any of the projected screens on Canal Street. We ended up in front of Bacaro for the big win, which admittedly, was a really amazing experience.

This weekend was all about doing things I hadn’t done in a while, which includes going to Soho and hot yoga, both of which were interesting choices given my list of complaints recently. My father doesn’t read this, so I feel in the clear telling you that we got him these Lululemon shorts and this sweat towel for Father’s Day. If I didn’t sweat enough in that endeavor, there is definitely no pornstar martini left in my bloodstream after yoga.

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This past winter in New York pushed us all to the brink. The fact that we still had 40 degree mornings in May, and I had put away, taken out, and then put back away, and then taken back out my North Face puffer after Easter was enough for me to warmly welcome the summer and everything it brings with it—

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A restaurant like Hillstone is my favorite. I love classic American fare, great service, and most importantly, incredibly rich foods such as spinach and artichoke dip and and a crispy chicken sandwich. Because of this, I woke up on Friday and chose to fast until the 2:30 reservation I had. A Hillstone reservation should not go to waste, and to waste it would not.

Before Hillstone, I enjoyed my first Summer Friday of 2026, as noted in Friday Saturday’s post:

I woke up early and worked out, cleaned my apartment, and then headed out to get a haircut from Brittany at Jenna Perry Hair. I used to get $40 haircuts straight across the bottom, but I decided that part of becoming a woman was investing in your hair, which I don’t do much of because I’ve never dyed it. Brittany basically hosted my bat mitzvah in the chair, told me that while my hair was beautiful, it was a little girlish, and long layers would do a lot of favors for me.

If you’re a girl, you know that the word “layers” can be really scary. Historically, layers have done me really dirty. I got some sort of a layered bob right before transferring colleges, I’ve had chunks of hair missing that was supposed to be “angled front pieces”, and I’ve been overall botched more often than not. Brittany’s confidence in how good this would look was enough for me to trust her, and it resulted in the best haircut of my life.

I had plans on Friday night to celebrate my dear friend Tommy’s birthday, which was great because I love Tommy and want to celebrate him, but I can also show off my new haircut fresh out of the chair and in public. We went to FourFiveSix in Williamsburg, sat outside and had some cosmos while watching the Knicks game, where I prompted many solicited compliments to which my friends kindly obliged.

The best part of the summer for me personally is waking up slightly hungover and watching the Love Island USA episode that you missed the night(s) before. When the first episode premiered on Tuesday, I felt overwhelmed for obvious reasons. Although I’m a LI veteran at this point in life, having watched multiple seasons of UK and USA, it’s still an incredibly daunting journey to start. However, it’s daunting until it’s not, and come Saturday when there’s no episode, you’ll find yourself missing your temporary summer family.

It’s really fun to see my friends watch Love Island for the first time.

There are so many rules and so much nuance to it. If your man doesn’t bring you breakfast, it’s over. If he does bring you breakfast but it’s just a plate of scrambled eggs and some toast, start pulling some other people for a chat. If he brings you a well-balanced plate of fruit, eggs, avocado toast, and pancakes, consider yourself engaged. All bets are off during challenges, you can kiss anyone and do anything with no hard feelings (at least it should be), and your favorite person will become your least favorite in the span of a night.

It’s truly such a magical show that brings immense joy to my summer. It’s so incredibly stupid, but so incredibly important in helping my ability to turn my brain off after a long day at work, and just watch hot people make mistakes in love over and over again, trapped in a giant villa in Fiji.

Continuing my weekend of fabulous eating, my sister and I are getting Sunday dinner at EJ’s Luncheonette, one of the top 3 places that TikTok has ruined for those of us who have loved it long before it went viral. I will absolutely be getting a chocolate milkshake and then we’ll build the rest of the meal from there.

I’m very scared for the third and final part of the Summer House reunion on Tuesday, sandwiched in between two very important basketball games for New Yorkers. I made reservations for my friends to watch on both Monday and Wednesday, so I’m expecting my friends to show up with some sort of trophy that states I’m the best reservation-maker on the planet (kidding 💋).

If you’re looking for somewhere to watch the game, I have a few recs here. They’re mostly chill where you can enjoy yourself, take a seat, and not be afraid of being elbowed by someone from Long Island.

• Bar Oliver in Two Bridges, I watched the game here last Wednesday and it was lively yet lovely

• Half Pint in the West Village, they had some open reservations left when I looked

• Forgetmenot in the Lower East Side, this will probably be pretty rowdy but a cool crowd nonetheless

• Le Dive in the Lower East Side, I walked past on my way home on Wednesday and they had their huge TV up inside

• Grand Street Pizza in the Lower East Side, they had a truck they were projecting the game onto on Wednesday and the pizza is phenomenal.

The truth is, nothing is going to be chill this week. I just read a NYT article that the MSG watch party on Friday led to dozens of arrests, and on my little street with no bars for a few blocks, there was hooting and hollering after Wednesday’s win. We’re surely in for it, New Yorkers.

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We’ve got two built-in Summer Fridays with Juneteenth and the Fourth of July. I personally get 5 free PTO days from Memorial Day to Labor Day, only eligible to use on Fridays in that timeframe. Each mid-July Friday in office feels like the longest day of my life, however each day off feels like a beautiful gift. With office holidays combined with my Summer Fridays, I’ll have a total of seven Fridays to myself out of the fifteen that the calendar holds, batting at about 46%. I’ll take it!

Obviously I’m using some of that for vacation and time with my family, but there are a few (such as today, June 5th) that I’ve taken for myself to enjoy with no plans, right here in Manhattan (and still Williamsburg, just for tonight).

If you’re as lucky as I am, you may be wondering how to fill all of this time, especially if your friends are chained to their desks. Here’s how I plan on spending the days, along with some other stuff I think you guys may enjoy as well.

MORNING:

I like to sleep in on the days that I have off like the rest of the universe, however on a day such as today, I woke up at 7:45. I caught up on some texts, paid off my credit card bills since I got paid last night, and headed off to the gym. If I were to cheat on Equinox with a fun workout class, I would probably do BodyRok, Fuze House, or some sort of yoga.

Usually, I drink coffee after I work out, unless I work out at like 11 or 12. I’ve been making coffee at home more recently with Chobani Cookie Dough or Hazelnut creamer, but if I go out to coffee, here are my picks:

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I’m lucky to have a sister who is also my best friend. Our three year age gap feels smaller and smaller the older we get, and now that we’re both young, working women in the greatest city in the world, she’s my favorite person to spend time with.

I try to force her to hang out with me at least once a week. This tends to occur in her neck of the woods, which is Yorkville, aka north of 80th Street and east of Park Ave, not to dox her. The weekends are so lovely up there, and it’s nice for me to take a 90-block vacation every once in a while.

This particular Sunday, we had planned to go on a walk in the park surrounding Gracie Mansion since I had never been, make a stop at the dog park, and then grab sandwiches from Milano Market. One of my favorite coffee shops of the moment is Casita of Brooklyn, to which has become our ceremonial first stop when we hang out. When I come up from the Q across the street and see Grace’s face in the window, waiting for her text to say that she sees me back, it’s the start of a beautiful day.

We embarked to the East River where I made my inaugural visit to (the outside of) Gracie Mansion. I didn’t realize the surrounding grounds were such a beautiful park that had pockets of silence and tranquility that’s rare to find in this city.

Then we headed to the dog park. As two dogless girls, we enjoy the spectator sport that is switching between the outside of the fence in both of the small and large dog areas, picking out our favorites and snapping pics to send to our friends. After multiple corgis (Gracie’s favorite), pugs, vizslas, and French bulldogs, we escorted ourselves out before the park rangers could and made our way over to Sukoshi, a Korean skincare store. I walked out with three snail mucus sheet masks and three soothing ones, one of which is on my face as I write this.

The line for Milano Market was long and to be frank, discouraging, but Grace decided that it wouldn’t be too bad to wait it out, which inevitably I was thankful for once I was sat in the plush green grass of Central Park, housing a caesar salad wrap, ravenous after getting our steps in.

Once our time together was nearing its end, I was starting to figure out what my next move was. It was a beautiful day, the weather was temperate, and I could use a few more steps. So, I decided to walk the entire 5 miles, approximately 98 city blocks, that separates my apartment from Grace’s.

My route was 1st Avenue to Avenue A to the three block radius of my home. I realized I hadn’t spent much time down 1st, let alone 98 blocks down it, and boy, did I see the sights. I saw Cole Escola on 60th, the UN, and a Nerf Gun bullet on 19th. All in all, the Apple Health App is telling me that it was 20,000 steps, which I’m disappointed and skeptical of. That’s double my daily average and my legs are aching, so not too bad at the end of the day.

I’m currently listening to London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth by Patrick Keefe on audiobook, and reading the second Off Campus book on Kindle to wind down from finishing American Psycho last week. I watched the movie the night I finished, and was extremely underwhelmed. I felt like they missed the mark and had not followed the plot enough to draw in millions of men aged 18-30 in Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs alone, let alone the rest of the world.

I’m enjoying London Falling and it got me through probably 20 blocks. I’ve hit a part that’s dense in back story that I should save for tomorrow at work when I just need white noise. I’m enjoying Off Campus #2 even more, which I don’t think I need to explain why.

In terms of television, I started Summer House from the beginning in light of the tenth season coming to a close. I’ve made it to the middle of season four, where Carl has rejected Lindsay, Amanda and Kyle are engaged but that’s not the only rock they’re on, and Jordan is still lying to everyone. He’s obviously gay. Here I go outing someone on the first day of Pride Month.

Summer is in full swing whether the weather or the date wants to admit it or not. My personal calendar shows for it, and that’s all that matters to me. Summer is a feeling more than a season.

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Some days I’ll opt for something dark—a memoir of someone tortured or whatever latest beautifully haunting novel Ottessa Moshfegh has released, and some days I’ll download a breezy Kindle Unlimited romance.

For the last four-ish years, I’ve always been actively reading at least something. My goal this year is to hit 25 books, last year I believe I did 27. I consider reading not only a great escape during my lunch break or before bed, but also something that serves as great inspiration and research for someone, such as myself, who is an aspiring writer.

Summer is synonymous with reading. From middle school-issued summer reading lists to Obama, everyone is providing their two-cents on what you should be diving into, and I don’t mean bodies of water.

If you read Coffee Order, we probably have similar literary taste (give or take the military exposés or American Psycho). I aimed to provide something for everyone with these ten titles, and if you’re looking for more, you know where to find me.

Let’s get into it.

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1. Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed by Maureen Callahan (non-fiction)

The Kennedys circled back into our front-page zeitgeist for a few reasons this year—RFK Jr., Love Story, Tatiana Schlossberg’s untimely and tragic death, and her brother, Jack Schlossberg, running for congress.

This is not the Kennedy story that any of us have been told as Americans for nearly a century. The seemingly prince-like boys that were JFK, RFK, and Teddy and their patriarch Joe, the men that built our modern country and their subsequent heirs, had closets full of the skeletons of women they’ve killed, assaulted, or ruined the lives of. Callahan does an intense deep dive and makes sure that each and every victim gets their story told. I’ve given this to two friends at this point and plan to keep it circulating. I would almost call it true crime, sadly.

2. Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors (fiction)

I’ve talked about this one a few times on here already. It is simply one of the most beautiful novels I’ve ever read. If you have a sister, it’s a must.

Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky are three sisters struggling with the loss of their fourth—Nicky—the sale of their childhood apartment, and three very different personal lives. Mellors does an incredible job showcasing just how complex sisters can be, and that although they may share the same roots, their experiences can be polar opposites. It was very enjoyable and had its funny moments despite how harsh that description was!

3. Gwyneth by Amy Odell (biography)

I know, I know. Can I go one singular week without mentioning my queen GP? This biography was a really fun read, I think I read half and listened to half of the audiobook which I also recommend—I did the same thing with Famesick by Lena Dunham which I will spare you any more discussion of.

Gwyneth Paltrow is a very complex celebrity. She is technically a nepo baby but doesn’t seem to have necessarily been given anything, she’s dated a lot of people in the public eye, and she’s worn many hats. She’s also, to put it plainly, peculiar and privileged and sometimes comes across as off-putting (not to me, of course). This is great for a light vacation or beach scenario that you want a little more deapth and reality for.

4. Flawless by Elsie Silver (fiction, KindleUnlimited)

Every once in a while, even the most pretentious of readers such as myself need to not take themselves so seriously. Elsie Silver has that pretty much on lock with anything she writes, but particularly the Flawless series.

Enemies to lovers, what more do I need to say. If you love a happy ending, Elsie’s got you. For the grown-up fanfiction girlies, the Hallmark movie moms, and everyone in between, you’ll probably finish this in one day.

5. The Fran Lebowitz Reader (non-fiction essays)

I debated on putting this on here because I felt like a performative young man sitting outside alone at Clandestino, trying to hook-line-and-sinker a girl such as myself into talking to him. However, I am a product of my environment.

Fran sees the world in such a special way. You will laugh out loud and also find yourself reflecting on some of the most serious moments of your life with a new perspective. While some of the material was written fifty years ago, it still rings true, which gives me a sense of comfort knowing that some things really do just stay the same.

6. 10% Happier by Dan Harris (self help)

This book found me, accidentally, when I needed it most. It is absolutely not the type of content I would normally digest, but I’m very thankful I did, and nearly two years later I still implement practices taught to me by Dan on a daily basis.

Dan Harris shares his journey to mindfulness, meditation, and taking a beat after a series of panic attacks, one on air while he was hosting Good Morning America. Harris candidly shares how he was skeptical of meditation and mindfulness and goes through what it took for him to finally give it a chance, which I could relate to deeply. If you’re interested in getting into something like meditation, this is an amazing book with none of the “woo-woo”.

7. The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces by Seth Harp (non-fiction, exposé)

I had listened to Seth Harp on the Armchair Expert podcast, which only took about 20 minutes of the conversation to convince me that I needed to read his full book.

Harp dives deep into the underbelly of the beast that is a very elusive, secretive part of our country—misconduct by soldiers at the highest rank and of the most dangerous missions. I could not believe my eyes to what I was reading, it was shocking, disturbing, and left me wondering how nobody is doing anything about this. That led to a deeper question—should anyone do anything about this? Who would replace these guys if we took them down, the people responsible for our freedom? It’s a very strange feeling to have as someone with my views, let alone any views. There are some scary and triggering topics in here, but I do think it’s an important read if you’re into a long-form investigation.

8. Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden (memoir)

I wanted to give this book a standing ovation upon finishing it, but I feel even more compelled to publicly declare what it was that made me love it so much because there have been a few hit pieces trying to discredit my girl Belle.

Belle Burden was married for twenty years with three children when one night, during the pandemic in their family home on Martha’s Vineyard, she got a call from a man who said his wife was having an affair with her husband. Subsequently, her husband left her in basically the dead of night with no answers, leaving a mess in his wake and a broken partner left to pick up the pieces.

Burden comes from immense wealth and privilege. Her grandmother was socialite Babe Paley, and her mother Amanda Burden, a principle at Bloomberg and successful city planner. A big portion of this book surrounds their pre-nup, to which outlets such as The New Yorker have launched opinion pieces on. The reality is that this story far surpasses the financial aspect, to which the author was immensely transparent about. I’ll shut up and leave you to decide.

9. Wild Side by Elsie Hill (fiction, KindleUnlimited)

A double feature for Elsie Hill! I have a soft spot for characters named Rhys after A Court of Thorns and Roses, which I had finished not long before I started this.

Another one of those cheesy romances that I discussed above. What else are you supposed to read on the beach?

10. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (non-fiction, thriller)

I’m sure many of you have read this, but it’s come to my attention that a few people in my life have not, and this also fills the void of the suspenseful, mind-twisting option that this list was acting. What a way to close it out.

Alicia is a famous painter married to an esteemed fashion photographer. One evening, her husband returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, is subsequently held in a medical prison, and remains silent, forever. Her case spreads like wildfire across the country, the price of her art skyrockets, and her therapist becomes enamored with this story, trying to figure out who Alicia is and why she did it. I promise, you will not see the ending coming.

I will leave you with how I wrote this post—crouched in front of my fireplace full of books:

TODAY’S COFFEE ON COFFEE ORDER GOES TO: SETH!

This is immensely appropriate because Seth is one of the most, if not the most, tenacious reader I know with a very individual taste. Thanks for supporting, Seth!

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This surely does not feel like the official start to summer. I have a chill I can’t shake, there’s no chance I’m going outside until tomorrow, and there’s simply nothing else to do besides SHOP!

MDW serves some of the biggest sales of the year, a bunch of them kicking off last week to continue into the next. Furniture, clothes, makeup, you name it, thousands of brands are over 50% off. And guess who went through them all for you—ME! You’re welcome.

I asked on Instagram for specific things you guys are looking for so that this could be actually useful instead of a hodgepodge of links. I’m going to toss in some unrequested items as well, things you didn’t know you needed until you clicked it…that sort of stuff.

Let’s get to it.

EVERYTHING LISTED BELOW IS LINKED HERE

SHOES

Instagram requests are italicized.

• Breathable flats: my friend Grace wore these to drinks last night from Rothy’s and I thought they were adorable, you also can’t really tell they’re Rothy’s which is great. 25% off $159

• Pre-Owned Chanel Ballet Flats: The Real Real is basically giving stuff out for free these days. I am kind of obsessed with these Karl Lagerfeld Metallic Flats that are 50% off on Thred Up. Not Chanel but in the family.

• Summer sandal that can be dressed up or down, heel or flat: Favorite Daughter is 25% off select styles this weekend and has extremely comfortable yet chic and sleek sandals. I’m obsessed with this wedged, heeled thong, these flat slides that you can toss on, and this little kitten heel flip flop for something in between.

• Jelly shoes: long live the jelly guys. I don’t think they’re out of style yet. Steve Madden is 30% off select styles and he’s one of those people who the saying if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it applies to. His shoes will always just be great, reliable, and comfortable.

• Summer loafers: I prefer loafers with no hardware for the summer and a thinner leather, not shiny. Perhaps a driving shoe of sorts. Circling back to Favorite Daughter because I can personally attest that these are fantastic, I wore them for like 10 hours straight, and again, 25% off.

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Furniture:

• Media console: Article is up to 40% off select styles and I feel like this black wood console is not only perfect for the person who requested this (you know who you are) but also looks like it could be double the price it actually is. If you prefer to use your console as both a TV stand and storage as most people in NYC do, I’d opt for this gorgeous, glossy lacquered one from CB2 for under $600.

• Dressers: The plight of the dresser is a battle I have never come out on the other end of. It’s genuinely really difficult to find one that fits the space, looks good, and works well. You can’t spell Memorial Day without Pottery Barn. I feel so adult even on their website. If you don’t have much horizontal space, I’ve never minded the look of a vertical dresser like this one that’s a little over $500.

• Side table / music stand: I saw this while looking for the above dresser and found it to be really chic and again, something that looks way more expensive than it is. I’m not into records, so I would use this for books or magazines and then use the surface as an end table. Urban Outfitters is up to 50% off all categories.

• Rugs: is a rug decor or furniture? Anywho. Ruggable should genuinely be paying me for how often I recommend them. They’re up to 70% OFF AND buy-one-get-one 50% off. I have a cheetah print one because, duh, but this striped one is very calming to me.

Decor:

• I need a cute ass butter dish: this is a quite adorable little cottage-core moment from Anthropologie, which similar to its sister, Urban Outfitters, is really hitting the gas on the discounts. If you’re not into the trad of it all, this blue dotted one from Target is tres chic.

• Throw pillows: Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters are typically my go-to for cute pillows in the bedroom or living room. I love this kiwi-inspired green one, this gorgeous fringe one from Crate&Barrel, and this very adorable kitschy one from west elm

• Curtains: I have these little half “cafe” curtains in my bedroom window that allow some privacy while catching the light in just the right way. This ruffled set from Urban is very romantic and girly.

• What should I get someone for their engagement? Mark & Graham are my go-to for personalized, great quality gifts, and they’re up to 60% off this weekend. This leather photo catchall is very elevated and sweet, same with this engraved silver tray, as is this leather cocktail set.

This was the most time I’ve spent on Coffee Order in a while, it took me a few hours to source and link so I hope you all enjoyed! If you need anything else, you can always ask me on Instagram.

Other than shopping, this weekend has been spent in my bed, at bars I grew up going to, and at Puppy Yoga, which is something I need to do more often.

It’s a sick joke that come Tuesday the weather is going to clear up, and come next Saturday, rain all over again. Maybe one day it will feel like summer again, a day that I don’t have to be behind a desk.

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In a period of time where it drops 30 degrees overnight, we may not realize it, but our bodies are left reeling. My skin freaks out, my muscles are fatigued, and don’t even get me started on my hair in the humidity.

If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I use a lot of different types of beauty gadgets and treatments on a daily basis. I often get questions on what I use, if you should be using it, and where to get things such as skincare, bodycare, etc.

The summer and the winter are the hardest months to keep up with personal care. Everyone is beautiful period, but we’re the most beautiful in the temperate months, when you’re not sweating from places you didn’t know existed or your skin is cracking from the harsh below-freezing winds.

Have no fear, Coffee Order is here! And you’re in luck, because I spend a lot of money on making myself look decent. I’m going to break down things I swear by, things worth splurging, and things I want to try but haven’t had the chance to yet. These are for men too, so don’t go anywhere boys! I’d also like to shout out my dear Emma, a bride to be and my freshman year roommate, who asked for a guide to getting bride ready from little ole me. Emma, this is for you!

SKIN & FACE

As you can see with your own two retinas, I have a very fair complexion. I don’t take sun anymore on my face during the summer but will occasionally expose my body, ensuring that I get a skin check with my dermatologist come September. I also am acne-prone, feeling as though I’ve finally conquered that chapter (and ignoring the cystic pimple on my cheek that appeared last night). This does make me casually qualified to give advice re: the skin barrier.

I also don’t subscribe to a long routine anymore. I use three products at night and three in the morning, a few more if I want to look presentable at work. The 8-step skincare routine is dead, we all realized there was no need to reinvent the wheel. And thank god for that.

Products:

• Sonsie cleaning mousse: thank you, Pam. So light, but leaves your face feeling squeaky clean. Also great for waking you up in the morning. This is my everyday cleanser.

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All five boroughs (and beyond) are basically crawling to Memorial Day. I can taste the Summer Fridays and 9 PM sunsets. It’s been a long, cold spring, full of rainy Saturdays and cloudy Sundays. I’ve had to wear a jacket far longer than I’ve liked. Enough was enough.

On Friday night, I was itching to just get out of the house for a little bit, nothing crazy. I met my friends Grace and Gabby out at Bar Snack, where we were blessed with a table on the sidewalk and got Woodford Reserve (bourbon) confused with Wölffer Estate (wine). I had a pickled mezcal margarita which was interesting, another drink with approximately 100g of sugar, and a martini that I did not need, before retiring home at 9:45 PM, with a pit stop at McDonald’s along the way.

Saturday, my friends and I had plans to meet at Maiden Lane for some drinking in the afternoon—something I don’t usually love to do, but the weather was 78 and sunny for the first time all year, and I was looking forward to soaking it all up. I had stopped by Brooke Callahan’s pop-up on Thursday night and got this new skirt that I wanted to wear:

I sat in Tompkins for a little so that I could get through some more of American Psycho, a book that I’m enjoying a lot but is a quest to get through, before heading up to Maiden Lane to grab a table outside. Getting a table at a place like that on a day like Saturday takes strong attention skills, commitment, stealth, and most importantly, luck. As soon as I got there some people were leaving, so I camped out with a cider and staged the chairs next to me to make it seem like my friends were already there before the fun really got started. A real bonus of the afternoon was that there was a nearby corgi meet-up.

I headed home in the early evening because I had a big night ahead. My friend Nicholson lives a glamorous life, and he invited me as his plus-one to the Gucci Cruise after party. Obviously, this was an outfit challenge that I felt amply underprepared for, until I remembered that if it was a room with me, Alix Earle, and Devon Lee Carlson, I could wear whatever I want because ain’t nobody lookin’. I also remembered that I got one of the best bags at the Kering sample sale last year, and that a party that started at 11:30 wasn’t exactly a fashion show.

I ended up wearing a vintage slip dress that I had gotten at Stella Dallas when I first moved to the city and these Favorite Daughter heels that look like they could be Saint Laurent. I put eyeliner around my eyes and then rubbed them with my fingers, slicked my hair back, and told myself that I couldn’t be weird to Camille Rowe if I saw her (which I did, 30 seconds after walking in) before meeting Nicholson at our favorite neighborhood bar, Treasure Club.

The Gucci party was very exciting. I’m still on the hunt for the flash photography pictures of myself dancing with Alix Earle in the basement of the mansion they converted into a nightclub, so if you see them, send them to me. It was an odd (positive) feeling to be around people I look up to so much—Camille, Devon Lee Carlson, Gabriette, etc., and realize that we’re all just gals at the same Gucci party. Some more invited than others…

Nicholson and I always have a “ki”, but Saturday night was particularly hilarious. We ran around in towels that had Gucci Mansion embroidery that we stole from the Gucci gym, drinking champagne, me acting as his shadow as he mingled with his comrades in arts. After talking to his boss for too long and realizing I had a towel tied around my waist, I decided that this Downtown Girl was ready to leave her Uptown fairytale for the night. I tried to bring the towel home but security acted like I was trying to make out like a bandit with some Gucci jewels or something and demanded it back. I’m just glad that didn’t happen in front of Tom Brady.

I knew Sunday morning was going to be a little bit rough, but the risk was worth the reward of the night before. I had also forgotten how miserable being hungover can be when it’s above 80 degrees and the sun is beating down on you relentlessly. I had felt as though my outside time for the weekend had been maxed out on Saturday, and after putzing around Trader Joe’s without any clear path or direction, I planted myself on the couch, tried to find those pics of me and my new friend Alix, and binged the first season of Summer House.

Monday, as you’re reading this, is basically Summer Eve. This entire week is. We’re 7 short days from the official start of the best time to be in New York, the best time to be on the East Coast, and the best time to be a young gal in your 20s, having a good time that falls somewhere in the middle of the Hannah Horvath to Carrie Bradshaw scheme. Sometimes it feels like the days are too long (especially on a day like I’m having), but the weekends will give you whiplash.

Let me know if anyone has anything specific they’d like to read here this summer. I’ll always keep you abreast on what to do, see, eat, drink…wear…during this beautiful time of year.

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