Morning Brew - ☕️ Illuminating

TOGETHER WITH

Hi there, and good afternoon. Last week I promised you my thoughts on evermore, but I think I need a full week and a few more 7am sunrise walks to fully establish an opinion. So far, my favorite song is her country mashup with Haim, “no body, no crime.” I live for the murder mystery drama interwoven into the lyrics. Reply with your top evermore song, or the new album you’ve been jamming, dancing, or crying to recently.

— Rachel Cantor

P.S. Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here.

Hot Topic

Peter Zvonar / Getty Images

For Fixer Upper fans, Instagram influencers, and design nerds, Pantone’s Color of the Year announcement is the most wonderful time of the year. Following in Taylor Swift’s and the NYT’s Editorial Board’s footsteps, Pantone picked two colors this year: Get ready to see a lot of Ultimate Gray and Illuminating (a bright yellow) in pitch decks, home offices, and spring/summer fashion collections.

Home decor items that channel the dependability and optimism of the 2021 color picks.
It’s not as bright a color, but this Yellow Instagram account has an uncanny ability to make you smile.

Scroll through every Pantone Color of the Year from 2000–2021. I like 2013's Emerald.
Subscribe to Erin Fong’s newsletter, The More Hue Know, for curated products and recs in a specific shade. You can even dress in the Color(s) of the Year with the help of her colorful sweatsuit roundup.

Brain Food

Read

5, 7, 5 Post-It Note thoughts on 2020.
The story behind one of NY’s most-beloved restaurants, Balthazar, as told by the owner himself. It was my gma’s favorite spot, and you could almost always guarantee a celeb sighting.
This Vulture piece by one of my favorite writers explains how to make sense of this year through browsing the interwebs.
I just finished reading The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi. It’s a heartbreaking, mind-opening piece of fiction that took me all of two days to finish.
Here’s why you should ALWAYS keep croissants in your freezer. Preferably chocolate, and preferably from Trader Joe’s.

Listen

I have no shame in saying that this music rec comes from one of my favorite Peloton instructors, Emma Lovewell. Khruangbin is a low-key instrumental group that draws inspiration from a collection of global musical subgenres. It’s the definition of vibey: funky, deep-cut grooves that work for late-night coloring sessions.
The Brew Crew introduced me to Reply All, a podcast about the internet and all the weird things you can find on it. Cryptocurrency is my latest obsession (even though I don’t really get it), so I devoured “The Bitcoin Hunter” episode, in which the hosts go on a treasure hunt to recover Jia Tolentino’s lost bitcoin.

Watch

I’ve been on edge for the past few days, and it’s 100% The Undoing’s fault. This Big Little Lies-esque thriller had me holding onto my best friend’s hand almost the entire time. Bonus: Nicole Kidman’s coats.
What do you call those soft sugar cookies you find in suburban grocery stores? I’ve been trying to figure this out for years. Eric Kim of the New York Times makes a homemade version of those cookies, whatever they’re called.

Good Eats

magnez2 / Getty Images

You can only nuke a sweet potato in the microwave for dinner so many times. Spice it up with this miso sweet potato recipe. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

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Try It, Buy It

Try It

Get rid of that midweek mildew smell: Try this method for keeping your front-load washer moisture-free.
Start small: When you don’t have the time nor the interest to read James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, here’s the SparkNotes version: Pick a few micro-habits, which are guaranteed to help you live a little bit better every day.
Dress down: Zhuzh up your Zoom attire—your dad’s college sweatshirt—with a DIY acid-wash effect. Bookmark for a holiday break craft project.
Pass/fail: We all could use this class on how to detect and defuse BS.

Buy It

Escape: When you feel like an adventure, flip through the Cabin Porn: Inside book. You’ll discover the interiors of woodsy, tranquil homes, and enter your own little world.
Listen: Get world class advice from MJ to Queen B with these success oracle cards. Your favorite leaders, entrepreneurs, and movie stars will guide you through your next business venture, career jump, or big move across the country.

Sidekick's 2020 Gift Guide

Will Varner

For the friend who follows all the top emerging artists on Instagram, prides themselves on their latte art skills, and never wears sweatpants even to a Zoom happy hour, I’ve curated gifts they’ll absolutely love in our 2020 Sidekick Gift Guide.

Check out my pics for the Gehry of the Group here.

P.S. In the extremely rare case that none of these gifts interests you (it won’t happen), email sidekick@morningbrew.com with some deets about your giftee, and I will hand-select a few gift options.

Eye Candy

Still Here Still Life Instagram

The Still Here Still Life Instagram is an ode to Matisse and Cézanne’s still life drawing days. Every week the account posts a food photograph and hosts a weekly still life drawing challenge. I love how each artist interprets the prompt in their own unique way.

And now I leave you with a magical, fairylike Mystery Box (it’s not Taylor Swift related, I promise). See you on Thursday.

Your internet Sidekick,
Rachel

Mystery Box

Click for a surprise.

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Morning Brew - ☕️ Illuminating

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