In honour of Saint Valentine (the patron saint of Rom Coms): Blue Soup is back! And as is fitting for a famously capitalistic holiday: we monetising, baby!
From now on, for the price of a demi-cappu, paid subscribers will receive a ‘Monthly Meet-Cute’: alternating fiction and real life stories / interviews of how people met and fell in love. Think of it as the Substack equivalent to those cute old folk at the beginning of When Harry Met Sally.
That’s all for housekeeping. On to the good stuff…
I.e. how I’m spending my Valentine’s Day - needless to say, it’s a very important holiday to me and as the mother of a one year old, I can think of very few things more romantic than spending the day by myself.
I started the day with a reformer pilates class (because there’s nothing sexier than a strong pelvic floor) and some time in the sauna. So far, so sweaty. Back home for a mid-morning bubble bath which surely is the absolute pinnacle of self-indulgence? Especially given the last time I bathed without either my baby, or my baby’s aquatic accoutrements of which there are DOZENS, was roughly eight months ago (which in early motherhood years is actual eons). Whilst bathing, I will listen to Richard Curtis’ Desert Island Discs. After my ablutions, I will dine solo - swoon - at my favourite neighbourhood Pizza Express before watching Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield in the generally poorly received We Live in Time which I can all but guarantee, I will adore.
My husband doesn’t know it yet (well, now he does) but he will be feeding our baby supper because that’s hands down the worst part of parenting (if you disagree, don’t you dare get in touch to tell me that) and TODAY IS OUR MY DAY. After the baby is asleep, I have been inspired to cook carbonara by Gillian Orr and I will drink champagne, as is my wont (I wish).
Happy Valentine’s Day to all who celebrate - which I assume is all of you otherwise you’re in the wrong place. <3
THINGS I’VE LOVED THIS WEEK
The news that All Fours - the seriously brilliant novel by Miranda July - is being made into a TV show.
As children, my Mum would always give me and my sister Valentine’s Day cards and little gifts, so I’ve loved following each year as Ruby Redstone does the same for her adorable little girls (with the coolest names: Hella & Peach). Think vintage children’s books from Pillow Cat Books, Japanese toys from An.Mé and kitsch candy.
This wedding on NY Times, where the bride is described as ‘alarmingly bright and disarmingly warm’ which is the absolute best combination of compliments in my book.
Sage Mehta & Michael Robinson’s first date via The New York Times This cake by Nigella which is all I want to bake/eat every Valentine’s Day.
I have a soft spot for bees (you can read more about that here but fair warning: it’s not cheery reading) so I obviously lost my mind when I saw this picture of two furry friends napping in a flower via @youronlysourceofserotonin.
Just the idea of bees napping at all never mind napping together inside a flower is so beautiful. Happy Valentine's Day 💗 💕 my romantic daughter...xxxx