Reading: Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton.

Video: Painkiller, mostly for work. Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, ditto.

Audio: August in New Jersey means that I inevitably listen to The Smithereens at some point.

(Tr)eats: Fantastic mushrooms from the farmers market. Corn, tomatoes, zucchini. I eat more healthily in August than any other time of year.

Drinks: Iced rose lattes (beetroot powder, rose syrup, almond milk, other magical ingredients?) from the local vegan café.

Garb: ‘Tis the season to bring out my Batsheva housecoat-inspired dress. I may look like an Italian-American grandmother, but at least I’m relatively cool.

Beauty products: S+S Lip Sheers from Flyte.70. (Not an affiliate link! I just really like this brand. My favorite shades are Roam and Wishing Well.) Yves Rocher Monoï Body Wash…so summery.

Pleasures: Running into a half-dozen fragrance-friends at an ERIS event at Scent Bar. Getting a break from some freelance gigs, which frees up my weekends a bit. Being interviewed for two articles about perfume (fingers crossed).

Plans: Take a few days off. (I didn’t get any real vacation this summer, and I’ve been cranky about that.) Meet up with my mother on her birthday.

What have you been up to?