Hi! 👋

If you’re new here after any of our November guests, welcome! Perfectly Imperfect is a twice-weekly newsletter featuring curated recommendations from real people and once a month we like to drop some PI editor recs. If you like what you see, check out the archive for more!

Without further ado

Tyler Bainbridge (instagram, letterboxd, last.fm)

🫂 Hug Your Loved Ones

It’s a scary world. Hug your loved ones every chance you get.

📚 Bill Callahan - Letters to Emma Bowlcut (2010)

Sadly I didn’t know about musician Bill Callahan’s surreal, touching, and strange little book until my cousin Justin gifted it to me. Letters to Emma Bowlcut is a love story told through letters from an unnamed protagonist to a women he meets at a party. As you read you’ll start to fill the gaps of her side of the story from his questions, responses, the time in between, etc. Only 79 pages too, so you can finish in a few days. You’ll enjoy if you’re into Bill Callahan’s surreal & poetic songwriting.

🎵 Pinegrove - Skylight (2018)

It’s cold out, which means it’s time for warm music. And in the winter months I find myself reaching for Pinegrove’s soft, quiet(ish), and personal music, especially their 2018 album Skylight. If you get a chance to see them live it’s a treat, and if not, this live performance of “Rings” is always worth a listen.

🛄 Nanamica Utility Bag

I know. I just recommended a cross body bag last month. But I changed my mind! I like this one better for most stuff. It’s a great grab & go bag— dead simple, quality materials, light weight, inner pocket, and an easy to adjust over the shoulder strap.

😴 Short Naps

I like to think of naps as a second chance at starting the day. If you’re feeling crummy and tired, just pause and take a quick nap, you’ll feel a lot better. I find that 15-30 minutes isn’t super disruptive. You don’t even need to fully fall asleep, just closing your eyes and laying down for a bit can work wonders.

🔈 Dan Allegretto’s DIAL #DAN podcast

Great pod & a nice hat.

🥼 Arcteryx Atom LT

Just what we need, another guy in the city wearing Arcteryx 🙄 … but seriously, this might be my favorite purchase in recent memory. I was traveling to Chicago last month and needed a lightweight, yet warm, jacket, and after asking around the Atom LT (and it’s warmer counterpart, the Atom AR) came up again and again. It’s really so nice to have a jacket that’s warm enough to throw on over a crew neck or even a t-shirt and be comfortable in 30-55 degree weather. Some fit pics here.

🧑‍🦲 👱 Being Post Buzz Cut

Like many of you I decided to buzz my head when quarantine first started. And I’ve been sorta stuck with that decision ever since because growing it out requires enough willpower to make it through the tennis ball phase. I enjoyed my buzz cut era, but now? I’m post buzz cut.

Alex Cushing (instagram, twitter, goodreads, moodboard)

🫖 Afternoon Tea

Recently I’ve been foregoing my afternoon cup of coffee in favor of tea. This could be some classic tea-is-calming!!-placebo at work - buuut I swear it really is extra calming and relaxing, exactly what I need. I like to sit back on my couch, dog in lap, mug in hand, candle lit, fire crackling, and window shades open - just kind of looking out as I sip. 

🪡 Wythe New York Donegal Wool Sweater

In an effort to sweater up for winter, I recently copped the Wythe donegal wool raglan sweater in “seashell”. It’s perfectly warm and cozy, fits exactly as I want it to - not tight or pulling at the waist but not oversized - and just hits that vibe — that it factor I can’t really specifically name. Buy it! Wear it! Be happy! You deserve it!

🦃 Pastrami Turkey

If you’ve been following Walt’s cold cut diet,there’s a good chance you’ve had this particular cold cut in your diverse meat selection. If not, let me tell you — ‘strami turkey is the perfect go between of the strong peppery bite of pastrami and, well,  just turkey. I lather it in some delicious bbq-y honey mustard, and layer on some potbelly’s peppers. Spice up your lunch options with some of my new go-to.

🍯 Blues Hog Honey Mustard

Speaking of my favorite BBQ-y honey mustard… This is not your average honey mustard -- not the mild little peel-off top tangy packets you get from the drive-thru. This is a smokey honey mustard that belongs lathered on chicken wings before they hit the grill, or even spread on a sandwich paired with that pastrami turkey. A couple weeks ago I copped a jar and its already half drained. I also bought a jar of the BBQ sauce from “Blues Hog”, but haven’t even cracked that seal yet.

🤠🐴 COWBOYS: A DOCUMENTARY PORTRAIT

I really enjoyed this doc - half for the visual inspo and half for the stories told. The legend Bud Force co-directed/produced, and directed photography here and you can see it. There are sweeping landscapes filled with galloping horses, intimate stories of families living 3 hours from the nearest grocery stores to work on the ranch, animal births & bites, and everything in-between. Watch this for a true peek into cowboy living that you don’t see much of today.

📹 This month’s YouTube journey…

It seems I find a bunch of new videos I want to share every month so let me break it down for you here --

It all started with this guy who has parking his car in his ultra tiny apartment down to an exact science and this guy landing a paper airplane onto the tram.

Moving on from there, I watched some guy get a 1928 Model A running again, which led me down a path of “Abandoned ____, will it run?”-YouTube. Everything from old planes to cars and trucks. After a few SteveMRE’s inspired by Leia’s recs, I found a new favorite nook of YouTube - DeWayne from Dry Creek Wranglin’ School. He’s just an older “wrangler” living out in Texas, making YouTube videos on his iPhone XR a subscriber recommended. Sometimes he’s chattin with a cigar, going over the rules of wearing cowboy hats, while other times he’s teaching you how to buy a horse. I don’t need any of the advice he gives in my daily life, but I just cant get enough of his drawl as he goes on passionately about saddle rifles, trail etiquette, and his “time clock” on life. His is the only YouTube channel I’ve actually clicked the bell to let me know when there’s a new video to queue up.

Serey Morm (instagram, twitter, vsco)

🧥 Uniqlo Seamless Down Parka

Alex actually rec'd this jacket to me sometime back in 2018. For many reasons, it’s my most worn winter jacket over the past few years. Functionally, the jacket is really light, lined pockets keep your hands warm, and the water repellent material is what makes it really easy to slide on and off (which is probably why I always throw it on). Design wise, the jacket's lack of visible stitching is my favorite feature which is what makes it super sleek. Uniqlo shift the colors every season, but I found that the mens and womens are more or less the same jacket, except the women’s is slightly puffier. Sizing wise, they’re pretty much similar in my experience — so more color options!

📒 That Sounds So Good

Carla Lalli Music (who previously stopped by to share some of her recs) was one of the first people at Bon Appétit that inspired me to cook more when I moved out of my parents place a few years ago. I'm not sharing my love for this book because of this reason, but it genuinely is a great book for those who are looking for practical, everyday recipes. The recipes focuses around everyday ingredients, quicker weeknight meals, and meals that are meant to be made on the weekend. I often struggle to find time to cook, and this book has been really helpful with getting me back into the flow of things.

💊 Pepcid AC Maximum Strength

I can't believe I haven't rec'd my favorite drug of all time, Pepcid. Like most East/Southeast Asians, my body can't quickly breakdown alcohol so our faces end up getting super red when we drink, this is also known as the "Asian glow". For the past few years, Pepcid has been a life saver getting me through those nights without making me feel like shit. If you have the glow, give it a shot 😉

🧦 3.3 Field Trip "my Socks"

I bought a few of these socks from ALAND Brooklyn a few years ago when I was visiting because it’s right above the ankle, and the colors are fun, especially the mustard. Ever since then, these are the only socks I’ve bought since. You can sometimes find them on their site every now and then, but they can always be found at the store if you’re around!

🍿 Colin in Black & White

We threw this on in the background on a random dinner night, and I got so hooked and finished the entire series the same week. The setup felt like a StateFarm commercial, except the narrator is Colin Kaepernick and it revolves around how he “navigated race, class, and culture”. You don’t have to be a football fan to like this one, it’s a great short series!

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