Things I Can't Stop Talking About ( December R.E.P.O.R.T.)

lets wrap this shindig up, 2025 here we come

streets are saying that we’re 6 days into the new year but…it' doesn’t really start until Monday so I present: my latest R.E.P.O.R.T.

READING - Self Help Books…?

I know many people are doing a double-take…wondering if I made an egregious typo but the rumors are true. I have been reading non-fiction books. As I enter 2025, two things need to happen: I need to figure out how to be smart with my coin and how to tap into my creativity. Enter my two current reads Rich AF by Vivian Tu and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I haven’t finished either just yet (not too much) BUT I feel like both have been good so far and I will report back for sure.

EATING - Soup! Soup! Soup!

It’s been a biggg soup season for the girls from pho to ramen to my homemade chicken tortilla soup (which I fear needs to be entered into a soup competition). In my opinion, nothing beats a warm broth in the winter and of course, I have to share my faves for my peeps to try:

If you want Pho try: 5ive Spice

I know it’s a chain and I know it’s like commercialized pho…but it’s GOOD and it converted my anti-pho sister Aleah so it’s a certified banger. My recommendation will always be the Lemongrass Chicken Pho and for those with exquisite taste, add the sweet potato fries for a crispy + sweet nibble on the side.

If you want Ramen try: Ramen by Ra

Every so often, there’s a “must get” reservation in NYC, and Ramen by Ra is having her moment. With only four barstools, the location is reservation only and currently booked until January but if you snag a reservation…buckle UP! As if the unique flavors weren’t enough, Chef Rasheeda was so sweet and had the nerve to ALSO be from Prince George’s County, Maryland! 10 out of 10 would recommend!

If you want Traditional Soup: Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe by @heresyourbite

If I remember correctly, my friend Mia originally shared this recipe on Instagram, and after weeks of putting it off, I finally took out my big girl pot and got to work. I’ve always been a BIG fan of chicken tortilla soup, after all, it is in my soup big three (along with chicken noodle and tomato basil) but I’ve never taken a stab at it myself until now. I don’t know if it was the recipe, or me, or a little bit of both but this soup kept me warm all week and although optional, I’d HIGHLY recommend adding cilantro and lime as garnishes to set it off in the flavor department—hope you enjoy!

PLAYING - YouTube Vlogs

I always joke that I have the attention span of a squirrel when it comes to long TikToks, I literally cannot sit down and watch without at least going to 2x speed. But when it comes to a girl just talking to the camera and talking about her life? Sign me up. I’ve been deep in my watching vlogs bag but also in my making…vlogs…bag…🧍🏾‍♀️cats out of the bag. I am venturing into long-form content if you will but still working through what format things will take as I’m not sure if I want to Vlog in the “influencer” sense or…just document my life + moments in video format? Unsure, but I do have two videos for you to enjoy and here’s one :)

OBSESSING - Eye Makeup

The 2016 Ianthe who fought tooth and nail to achieve a cut crease with winged eyeliner is shaking right now, but I fear my days of the bare lid are behind me (for now). But honestly, this expands to my whole face as I started to improve my skills in 2024 but realized my face was looking very one-dimensional circa normal Spongebob:

I’m also coming down from realizing I DEFINITELY had blush blindness in early 2024, and no imagery will be provided for that you’re just going to have to believe me. So with all this in mind, I’ve started integrating a little contour…a little bronzer…and a little eyeshadow here and there but the gag is I still don’t really have the skillset to do so (and I hope no one can tell). All I can really give folks is a color in the crease, a color on the lid, and some blending dassit. I do have to shout out the Half Magic Eyeshadow in Blushing Lizard because it makes me look like I’m really doing something when I’m not, but I got two Juvia’s palettes for Christmas so cheers to getting more comfortable with eyelid expression.

RECOMMENDING - Journaling (your way)

As of late, it feels like the FYP has been SUPER personalized to the point where I like/save one post on a niche topic and suddenly I’m only getting videos about that. This month’s topic was journaling and more specifically junk journaling. As a recovering hoarder who will save the wristband from any party or concert, this was very appealing to me. Many videos advertised this form of journaling as easy and a way to make use of your “junk” vs. disposing of it, but I soon figured out this was essentially scrapbooking rebranded as people were adding stickers, patterned tape, cardstock backgrounds, and curating aesthetically pleasing pages. I thought it was just gluing a bag of Cheetos I got at the mall with my mom to a page because I wanted to remember the day—my bad.

So instead of pouring money and time into finding the best stickers I was later served a TikTok about commonplace journaling which sounds a lot more intruiging. From what I’ve researched, this type of journaling started during the Renaissance (in the 14/15th century, not summer 2023) and basically served as a notebook to jot down anything you learned, found interesting, or thought was noteworthy. Back then I’m sure these notebooks were full of groundbreaking discoveries regarding mankind and science and whatnot, but these days people have used them to jot down quotes, song lyrics, conversations, really anything interesting to you in the moment. This is different from typical journaling as you’re focusing more on the outside world + how you interpret it vs. emotional journaling which is more feelings-based. I love a fun fact and I love an article so I think this would be a great way to compile all my little thoughts while also serving as a tracker of where my mind is as I may think something is profound now and has a totally different meaning in a year. So in a sense, I was influenced by the FYP (it’s powerful what can I say?)…but I’m excited to be more present in the world through journaling this year!

TREATING - ERM…

I’m blanking here and this is a problem! I don’t want to make anything up but I truthfully cannot think of any noteworthy treats from the past month and that is NOT a good thing so let’s change that in January.

gonna try to be more consistent with these because they’re fun and give you a glimpse into the little things I’ve been enjoying each month so fingers crossed 🤍

from me to you,

Ianthe