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Twisty, Nonlinear Thrillers I’ve Read Lately

October 1, 2024October 1, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

In honor of shorter days and the spooky season approaching, I’m writing to share the thrillers I’ve been eating up lately and the ones I plan to start next.

A woman crying dreaming about different popular gum brands from the 2000s.

Candystand and The Decline of Chewing Gum in America

September 3, 2024September 3, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

I suspect the death of Candystand.com played a significant role in the fall of chewing gum marketing, causing the industry to lose its most engaged consumer base.

Pexels image of desserts, flowers, and a cup of tea on top of an open book.

Recent Reese’s Book Club Romances

August 27, 2024August 27, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

This summer, I read two Reese’s Book Club romances; the May 2024 pick, How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang, and the August 2024 pick, Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell. I would describe both books as story-driven slow-burn romances, and I’ll dive into the details below.

A drawing in ballpoint pen of an Indian girl wearing a sari with her head covered by draped fabric.

A Free Art School Curriculum from ChatGPT and Me

August 23, 2024August 23, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

Something seems to have happened over the years. I’m not sure how I did it, but I became more free and loose in my art (probably related to letting go and accepting imperfection as a general theme in my life right now). I also think the technical art skills needed some time to marinate in my body. I feel this way with a lot of other things, like dance and cooking.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Book Review

August 16, 2024August 22, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

Any book that takes over six months to read deserves no more than three stars. This masochistic endeavor lasted from November 20, 2023 to May 19, 2024. This book killed my reading streak, destroyed my spirit and stole my sanity.

SOTW Week 23: June 3 – June 9, 2024

June 10, 2024August 8, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

Hello world! This week was full of slays I’m excited to share. Summer is here!!! This week’s slays: Slay #1: Pick Up Pickleball This week, I went to play pickleball by myself during open play time at one of the community courts in my area. It was definitely a personal challenge, since I can’t remember […]

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SOTW Week 20: May 13 – May 19, 2024

May 20, 2024August 8, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

Welcome back to SOTW!! I took two weeks off to travel in Spain with my best friend (very grateful to be able to do so!!), then recovered from plane illness last week. Needless to say, it’s been a long time coming returning to Slays of the Week. This week’s slays: Slay #1: Simple Flower Arrangements […]

SOTW Week 16: Apr 15 – Apr 21, 2024

April 22, 2024April 22, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

I realized I’ve already put The Tortured Poets Department and Taylor Swift as Slays of the Week in the past, so I can’t put them again this week (or perhaps I can… I haven’t made official rules for SOTW yet). Slay #1: $2.97 Ben and Jerry’s My besite came through this week with the digital […]

SOTW Week 15: Apr 8 – Apr 14, 2024

April 15, 2024August 8, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

Time has been passing so slowly lately, last Sunday feels like a year ago! I’m not sure what to make of it, but nevertheless, another week, another set of slays. Slay #1: Hard Boiled Eggs The Internet is so confusing on the number of eggs I can safely eat in a day. This article says […]

SOTW Week 14: Apr 1 – Apr 7, 2024

April 8, 2024August 8, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

Let’s jump right into it. This week’s slays: Slay #1: The Masterpiece I Found at Goodwill Isn’t she a beauty? I found this print hanging around at the back of the store the other day and knew she belonged in my home art collection (full of other GW finds… I’ll have to post a gallery […]

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell – Book Review

April 6, 2024August 22, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

It took just over a month for me to read another book, it’s quite unfortunate. 😔 I’m not exactly *crushing* my 2024 reading goals yet, but I’m hopeful that this book pulled me out of the slump (although I think I’ve been saying that to myself every time I finish a book lately).

SOTW Week 13: Mar 25 – Mar 31, 2024

April 1, 2024August 8, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

After a little break from SOTW, I am back with more slays. This week was so positive and special, and I’m excited to share the juicy highlights. This week’s slays: Slay #1: Running a Half Marathon!! This was such a win. I had been training for a half marathon since October and the race went […]

Alt Text: An image of bananas in a fry pan with flames coming out of it.

SOTW Week 10: Mar 4 – Mar 10, 2024

March 11, 2024August 8, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

This week, one of my coworkers messaged me, “you are slay”. It made my day and while I do generally love being a slay ambassador at work, I will admit that this week did not feel very “slay”. What with impending work deadlines and getting The Bachelor winner spoiled, I had a hard time locking […]

SOTW Recap + Week 9: Feb 26 – Mar 3, 2024

March 4, 2024August 8, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

SOTW = Slays of the Week. We love an acronym, and SOTW will catch on. Hello everyone. I am reporting live this week in writing format because I’m going back to basics. The whole point of this blog and especially Slays of the Week is to develop my writing skills, so here we are. While […]

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens – Book Review

March 4, 2024August 22, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

I think I’m finally coming out of a reading slump. I blame Spotify’s 15-hour listening limit; it really slowed things down for me in January and sent me book-spiraling.

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Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson – Book Review

January 6, 2024August 22, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

Welcome to 2024! There is still so much to be excited for this year. With my hobbies, I’m most excited to write more and read great books. I had originally set a goal of 30 books, but I think the goal is there to get me into the reading habit rather than boost stats (I seem to hit 28 every year anyways).

Mistletoe Madness: 395 Christmas Songs in the Ultimate Bracket

December 12, 2023August 8, 2024anika1 Comment

Introduction It’s that time of year again: Mariah Carey has thawed, Spotify has Wrapped, and Christmas time is here. One of my favorite parts of the season since childhood is hearing Christmas music playing on 96.5 (KOIT). The first holiday song I heard on the radio this year was someone’s rendition of “Do You Hear […]

Tonka Beans: A Fragrance-Driven Exploration of the Forbidden Fruit

November 15, 2023August 22, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

I’ve been on a perfume kick lately. I started collecting perfume samples after a Christmas sometime during my tween years. I had received a Macy’s Favorite Scents Sampler Discovery Set For Her from my grandmother, and I was so excited.

The Israel-Palestine Crisis + 14 Books To Read About It

November 8, 2023August 8, 2024anikaLeave a Comment

Introduction Yesterday marked one month since the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas. Since then, there has been an unprecedented amount of violence in the region. It feels surreal that life goes on in the rest of the world. I still have to submit my work on time, I still have to take my car […]

Koffee with Karan S8E1: Ranveer Singh and Conformity

November 1, 2023November 1, 2023anikaLeave a Comment

Reading Time: ~7 Min This weekend, my Instagram feed started flooding with videos of Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. As they canoodled on a fancy couch with an all-too-familiar voice in the background, I surmised that a new season of Koffee with Karan was starting. I had only seen the TV show before through the […]