Cherries & Ocean Air

Red & Seafoam color inspiration, a seasonal phone wallpaper refresh, and some springy Brooklyn suggestions for your city wandering.

I had heard rumors of of the magical return of spring in New York City.

The first thing I noticed on Saturday was how many more people there were outside. I cracked our apartment window open, which is my morning tradition. Before anyone else (meaning my husband, the dog, or the cat) is up, I open the window and let fresh air fill our little Brooklyn apartment. I usually brace for the icy air, leaving it open maybe 2 minutes for a good gust, and then quickly seal it up again.

But not Saturday. On Saturday, the air moved slowly like molasses instead of ice water. Oh my gosh, it’s warm.

I rushed back to bed, as if it was Christmas morning, and jolted Connor awake. The sun was up!! Where will we go?! What will we do?! Is he ready? Can we go somewhere right now?

Our first New York spring.

With Genevieve, our 9-year-old pup, in tow we strolled through our neighborhood. No jackets! The first time my arms had seen the light of day in months. The sun hit the pavement and warmed us up from months of cold, cold, cold. So many people were outside walking their dogs. Enough to make me wonder where all these dogs had been stored for months. The sky turned to a vibrant blue and the air felt warm, what I had been waiting on for months.

We passed blooming flowers in empty dirt patches I’d walked by a million times. Cherry blossoms are down the street and their pink puffs fill the blue sky against classic brick NY townhomes.

I feel sunshine in my bones. Finally. Like Lorelei Gilmore had some weird emotional connection with snow, I have one with summer. I am about to become fully alive because the sun is back out.

In honor of my favorite season, summer, I am choosing to skip past spring pastels this week (don’t worry, I’ll get to them soon) and introduce a seafoam green and vibrant orangey-red as the colors of the week.

Think: Poolside afternoons, summer romance, lobster rolls, bathing suits (against striped beach towels), mint chip ice cream with a cherry.

I know the icee photo is not a seafoam green, but I could not resist the nostalgia!

Find image sources here

I made you a summery wallpaper for your phone if you are willing to surrender to the season early:

Here are some ideas for making your week more joyful:

• Start an engaging audiobook and save it for evening walks every night: I finally got my NY library card, and with it came access to a giant library of audiobooks from Libby (hooooray for not paying for an Audible subscription anymore!) and I am madly consuming books already. I have to walk and commute a lot, so I’m filling that space with fiction. It’s so fun.

  • I just started “Before The Coffee Gets Cold,” which is a cozy fictional novel about a time-traveling café. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” and “The Maid” are also of that same lighthearted fictional escapism and I recommend them for fun spring reads.

• Clear the digital clutter: set a timer for 15 minutes and delete old apps, old computer downloads, documents, random screenshots, etc.

• Lower the screen time this week: I just downloaded the free version of the app “Opal” to help myself reach my goal of less mindless scrolling and it helped significantly. Incredibly convicting.

• Go outside! Picnic with your friends, or your dog. I implore you.

• Text 3 people that you are thinking of them with a note of encouragement about what you love about them. (Do it now before you forget! It will just take a second!)

• Write 2 letters for 2 people you are really above and beyond grateful for! Mail them!

Here are 3 Brooklyn spots to add to your visit list:

📍 Prima: 147 Greene Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238

• Coffee/wine bar with a freshly opened back patio so you can enjoy New York spring to it’s fullest. Feels like a cozy little home in there — blue checkered tile in the kitchen.

📍 The Six Bells: 221 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

• It is an adorable, well-curated storefront that feels like I have been transported to Little Women and it makes me want to pick up quilting.

📍 Breakfast by Salt’s Cure: 368 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

• Be prepared to stand in a line that is very worth it. Eggs, sausage or bacon, and griddlecakes. That’s the whole menu. It is my favorite breakfast in the city so far.

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Hi! Thank you SO much for reading my Substack! I started afresh this season with some new writing dreams after taking a hiatus for a big move and job transition. It means a lot to me that you are here and reading and I am SO EXCITED to keep making you joyful things for your inbox. I hope this brightened your day in some way. If you are a long time reader who stuck out my pause, or a new reader, please introduce yourself in the comments! I’d love to personally connect with you on Substack. I feel fresh momentum here and really enjoy this online community. Would love to get to know you and your favorite color ;)

XO Jenna

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