Things I have loved in May
My monthly anthology of favourite things to see, watch, wear, listen & eat.
May has been a generous, busy month: it started with a bang with the launch of my first ever podcast episode (eeeek!), carried on with delightful trips to Rye and Portugal to visit friends (which reminds me, I still have to go through all my Lisbon pics!) and ended with a small but effective kitchen refresh (more on that later!)
Despite all the action, I managed to find some time to read, listen and watch some great things. I hope you’ll enjoy this month’s recommendations!
Please note: my edits may contain affiliate links, which means any purchases made via those links will earn me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. All my recommendations are genuine and based on products I truly love.
1. Favourite watch: There’s Still Tomorrow
I am very pleased to see that Italian cinema is having its moment abroad, what with Guadagnino’s Challengers taking the cinemas by storm.
I watched it, I enjoyed it. It was sleek and captivating.
But what I am here to talk about is more of a hidden gem, made perhaps less accessible to the masses by the fact it is in Italian with subs. C’è ancora domain (translated as “There’s still tomorrow”) is the debut film in the director’s seat of popular Italian comedian Paola Cortellesi (who also stars as the main protagonist). Set in Rome in the aftermath of the Second World War, it is a story about women's empowerment. And I’ll leave it at that, because I really, really want you to see it and I don't want to spoil anything.
I cannot overstate how deeply I have loved this movie. It’s no coincidence I have put it on top of my list for this month. I found myself uncontrollably sobbing out loud at the cinema during the final scene – and it wasn’t even a sad scene, it was actually an uplifting one. It was utterly cathartic. It’s a movie that refuses to be cliche, that will make you hold your breath, make your blood boil and your heart run fast, surprise you and make you laugh at unexpected times. Not to mention the cinematography and the music choices, which were totally brilliant.
I truly think it’s a little masterpiece. It reminded me of another famous Italian masterpiece – La vita è Bella by Roberto Benigni (I’d recommend you watch that too if you haven’t). Both movies are in B&W, both are set around WW2, both star comedians who debuted as directors. They both are great tragedies subverted by humour. I dare say that I found Cortellesi’s opera even more moving than Benigni’s.
2. Hackney Half Marathon
Speaking of uplifting experiences that made me lose it in public this month, I can’t not mention the moment I accidentally bumped into the Hackney Half Marathon. I have lived in East London for the whole of my 11 years of living in this country, and yet somehow I have always managed to dodge any marathon-related events (being it half or in its entirety): call it a combination of dislike of sport in general and even bigger dislike of crowds.
Well heck, have I been missing out! I was not prepared for the amount of support and generosity from strangers to strangers: people cheering everywhere, kids patiently waiting at the side of the road with their little arms stretched ready to bestow low-fives, funny signs crafted to steal a smile and give a little boost to the runners. It made me quite emotional, and I fell a bit like an idiot as my taps started opening once again behind my convenient sunnies.
But it made me hopeful, that humans can still be capable of acts of care and selflessness. It definitely made me want to join the ranks of supporters next year. Perhaps, who knows…even run it?
3. Natural Dye Workshop with Kathryn Davey
Any excuse to get away from screens and get my hands dirty is something I really welcome, especially if you can come away from the experience with some practical knowledge you can apply in your daily life.
Last month, I was lucky enough to attend a workshop with Irish master dyer Kathryn Davey, in the beautiful backdrop of an artist’s studio on Columbia Rd (one of the quaintest streets in London!)
Kathryn has been experimenting with natural ingredients for the past 15 years, and has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that is awe-inspiring (just look at her beautiful dye bible!).
I have learned, amongst other things, that a marigold-dyed cloth briefly dipped in an iron solution results in my favourite shade of olive green. I felt like a witch dabbling with some cool dark magic.
If you are interested, Kathryn regularly holds classes and workshops, both in-person and online
4. Patterned bolster cushion by Alice Grace
I have been obsessed with this print ever since I saw it appear in Alice’s newly launched collection. It features all my favourite tones, and I think it has something of a Japanese aesthetic going on. Alice has used this fabric across multiple products, but it’s the bolster cushion that stole my heart!
☞ Alice Grace bolster 01, £246.69
5. Floral kitchen update with Design by Nature
If you have been following me on Instagram for a while, you’ll know that my love for dried flower arrangements knows no end. I owe it all to one woman: Emily from Design by Nature. I came across her work during the second lockdown (she did a collab with my favourite restaurant, Perilla); we had just moved into our home, and I decided to buy one of her gorgeous pieces for our kitchen island.
Emily’s background in fine art completely transpires through her work as a florist, as her pieces have a very definite sculptural quality which I think has the power to elevate a space, much like a piece of art would do. That was definitely the case with our kitchen island piece. Anyway, that turned out to be a slippery slope, as I am now the proud owner of not one but four of Emily’s pieces, with talks about adding a fifth one.
It was Emily’s idea that, after three years of honoured service, we might want to revisit and refresh the original piece on our kitchen island which to be fair – despite the toll taken for being in a highly trafficked area – had aged incredibly well until that point.
I was nervous and excited in equal measure: ready for a change but also slightly reticent to let go of a piece that had become so iconic for our space. In the end, I trusted Em completely and she did not disappoint. It was such a privilege to watch her at work, stripping down her creation to the bones in order to maintain its essence, and then carefully adding new life into it.
I love this new piece even more, if that’s even possible. Its green and pink tones really resonate with the aesthetic of our home, and having it done bespoke by Emily, who by now knows me quite well, made it feel all the more personal and special.
If you are looking for a special piece to elevate your home, Emily takes on bespoke projects, but also sells stunning pre-made compositions on her website.
6. Dressing for “Summer”
Nothing has the power to throw me into a shopping frenzy like the prospect of a trip away, specifically abroad. There is something very satisfying, I find, about packing something new and wearing it for the first time in a new country, and our trip to Lisbon has proven to be a lethal excuse for me this month. Comfort is always my motto as far as my fashion choices are concerned, and I treated myself to a couple of new, practical pieces from Uniqlo (always a favourite for inexpensive but practical clothing).
I am also a fan of staple wardrobe pieces that can be easily interchangeable, and the two outfits below are a good example of that. My biggest pet peeve when shopping for clothes is finding trousers that suit my generous hips and ever-bloated belly. I have come to learn that elasticated waist trousers are my friends, and once I manage to find a model that works, I buy multiple pairs in different colours. This is the case with the Tessa model by Whistle, after it was recommended to me by a friend of mine (see below how I style the two colourways, but as I said, it is pretty much all interchangeable!).
If the outfits seem a little on the warm side considering it’s June, that’s because summer in London so far has been a bit of a shit-show, and if the BBC is to be believed, we should brace ourselves for the wettest summer in the last 100 years! Seems like I’ll be getting good use out of these purchases this season…
7. Khruangbin’s A La Sala
One of my favourite bands has released their latest album, and we have been listening to it on repeat for the past month on the Vynil player we were gifted last year as a wedding present. You can trust Khruangbin to deliver the smoothest, sexiest, most easy-to-listen tracks, and this album is no exception. It’s like a balm to the ears!
☞ Listen on Spotify
☞ Buy Vynil
8. New Restaurant: The Union, Rye
It took years of going to my favourite British coastal town, Rye, to finally manage to eat at The Union – a restaurant that had been on my radar for a while. The delay wasn’t due to any impossibly long waiting list (I have an aversion to those kinds of places): the stars simply never aligned. But the chance was offered to me on a silver platter, in the form of a pr invite, and it was too tasty an opportunity to pass away (excuse the series of cheap puns!).
I am happy to report that the lunch was delightful. Cosy pub-style interiors, friendly staff, food that was fresh and bright and tasty and hit all the right spots. Safe to say we’ll be back!
9. Still drinking: Botivo
I don’t drink. Well, I should say don’t drink alcohol. I never have, despite a) being Italian and b) coming from a family who owns a vineyard. I just don’t like the taste of most alcoholic things (with very few exceptions).
After decades of being subjected to elderflower cordial and ginger beer, I am delighted that this recent health craze that has swept the nation (thanks, in no small part, to gen-Z new drinking habits) has resulted in a flurry of interesting, layered, adult non-alcoholic options. About bloody time.
Botivo is not exactly a new entry for me: I have been a long-time fan, ever since I first discovered it at the aforementioned Perilla a couple of years ago. The fact that I am still obsessed with it goes to show how loyal I become once I find something I like – especially when, as is the case with non-alcoholic drinks – the good stuff is so hard to come by.
The taste is deliciously bittersweet, with citrus and herbal notes softened by wildflower honey and aged apple cider vinegar.
Finally, a 0% Aperitivo that feels grown up!
10: Read: None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
I don’t know about you, but I don’t read nearly as much as I’d like to. I love to read, but I struggle to find time in my daily life: I am not one of those “read a couple of pages before bed” people (as much as I’d love to be one) and in the evenings, I prefer watching a movie or a tv show with Joe, as it feels like an activity we can share. I generally read when I’m on holiday (I bought this book for the trip to Lisbon), so finishing a book this month has felt like a luxury.
I am a big fan of the crime/thriller genre, and I found this unsettling and uniquely creepy story quite captivating. If, unlike me, you are obsessed with the seemingly omnipresent Netflix series Baby Reindeer (of which I couldn’t go past episode no.2, sorry!), I think this might be a book for you, as this too deals with the theme of a female stalker. Even though I do have some issues with the ending (which felt a tad contrived and superficial to me), overall I was gripped to every page.
Brilliant inspiration, yet again Martina. Those films look amazing and all the other recs are things I want to try. 🌸
I’m in love with this month’s collage! And adding that film to my list to watch