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Hello Crush,
Hope that your summer is rocking.
Koko and I were visiting a friend this week who has a Newfypoo. (I didn’t make that word up (nor would I! it’s a foolish-sounding breed!). A cross between a Newfoundland and a Poodle, Murray is easily 120 pounds. Koko is only all of 12 pounds by now, yet she was able to sweet talk Murray into sharing his bone with her. I need to take some lessons in seduction from Koko!
So, everything we’ve got for you this week end is good, but you really have to check out CRUSH Reader Tom’s entry in our new Summer thing — our Vintage Tease column.
Rock on, Tom and Sally. You’re so right. You’ve still got it.
And — everyone — send us your Tease!
In This Letter. +Vintage Tease. From Tom. July 7, 2017. Tedeschi Trucks Band at the Providence Performing Arts Center. +3 More DEVOUR Recommendations. We couldn’t get these CRUSH Reader rec’s in before the wire last week. +Three Things: Clothing Lines I‘m Crushing On Hard This Summer. Is this perhaps the perfect t-shirt? +PrimeCrush & Chill: Grown Up Love Stories Worth A Re-Watch. Enough Said. By Christian Pan +Songs That Make You Wanna F*ck. A Compendium from the Readers of The Crush Letter. I envied the ‘bad girls.’ Still do. +dishing. +Social Media I Loved This Week. +Our Song of the Week
Vintage Tease.
To celebrate summer, this is our new thing (remember?) where CRUSH Readers send in a shot of their favorite vintage t-shirts. From a concert, your favorite team, the memorable bar where that hot guy/girl got you off? Tell us something about it - like, what’s the story behind it? What makes it your favorite? We will run this column every Saturday, or as long as we get your tee’s. I mean tease.
From Tom (but pictured on Sally).
Why I Love It.
“This shirt? Man, this shirt takes me back.
It’s from the Tedeschi Trucks Band show—July 7, 2017, Providence, Rhode Island. They played the old Providence Performing Arts Center, which if you’ve never been, is one of those grand old places that still smells like velvet and history. Part of their Wheels of Soul tour. Twelve-piece band, horns, backup singers, the whole thing—it was big, loud, and badass in all the right ways.
I’d been wanting to see them for years. Derek Trucks is a monster on guitar—played with the Allman Brothers back in the day—and he’s married to Susan Tedeschi, who’s got one of those voices that just cuts right through you. They put on a show that night that felt like the second coming of southern rock and soul. Never got to see the Allmans, but I‘d guess this is about as close as it gets.
Hot Tuna opened—another band I’d had on the list forever. Old-school, bluesy, still sharp as hell.
Sally—my wife—and I drove down, made a little getaway out of it. Got a room, had a few drinks, saw a killer show. For a few hours, we were 18 again. No work, no bills, no aches and pains—just music and good vibes.
And the best part? Sally still rocks the t-shirt all the time in the summer. She let me take a shot of it for you. Faded now, a little soft from wear, but every time she puts it on, I smile. One of those nights you keep tucked away, just to remind yourself that yeah, you and your girl still got it.”
DEVOUR {things to watch, read, and listen to}
We ran our periodic DEVOUR column last Saturday, but then we got a few more rec’s in after we published. Here are the things that CRUSH Readers think you should eat up.
In our periodic DEVOUR column CRUSH Readers share all the things that they think you should eat up.
Thanks to all the Readers who sent their recommendations in.
If you've devoured something we should know about, it’s not too late. We’ll get it in a future Letter. Share it here!
Watch. From Jennifer. CNN will air first-ever live Broadway play "Good Night, and Good Luck" June 7 at 7p ET with George Clooney. I saw the play on Broadway, so this is a head’s up that it’s worth watching. It’s tonight! (If you’re reading this on Saturday.)
Watch. Dept. Q (Netflix) From Diane. Okay, so this dour, dark, gruesome Scottish mystery is admittedly over-complicated. But it’s still terrific. I tried to put the remote down after the first three episodes but I couldn’t. A troubled detective leads a group of misfits on a cold case that was supposed to be a PR stunt for the Scottish police, but they dig in and get it done despite themselves. If it sounds a little like Slow Horses, you got the picture. It’s true that I was hosting company that I didn’t want to have over (my husband’s golf crew) and needed to hide away in the den and let them do their man thing, but it’s also true that it’s gripping.
Watch. Secrets We Keep (Netflix) From Anna. This suspense series takes place in a wealthy neighborhood of Copenhagen and pits a very privileged set of Danish elite against a single cop searching for a Filipino Au pair who has disappeared. It examines class and immigration issues while, admittedly, showcasing some very stylish people and homes. Loved every beautiful minute.
Thank you to the CRUSH Readers who sent in DEVOUR recommendations. If you've devoured something you loved, please let us know here!
Three Things: Clothing Lines That I‘m Crushing On Hard This Summer. By Dish.
Flore Flore. Is this the perfect summer t-shirt? I think so. And I’ve been searching, searching, searching. According to a friend who would know these things, Flore Flore is the new “it” t-shirt line for cool women in NYC this summer. Meaning, it will explode everywhere soon. I was specifically looking for something fitted and feminine to pair with loose linen shorts and pants. I feel like too many t-shirts are boxy and loose, or too boyish, which looks fine with tight jeans (etc.) but adds an extra 15 pounds if you’re wearing pleated linen shorts or loose linen pants, as I so often do. This is the Anna shirt pictured above and it is specifically from Flore Flore’s ‘lightweight’ line of t-shirts because thickness is another issue I have with summer t-shirts. I got it in both the offered colors (black and white) and in addition to the aforementioned linen shorts and pants, have been pairing it with skirts. It’s fabulous. To add to its beauty, the jewel neckline invites a great necklace.
I think it’s the most perfect summer t-shirt.
Monica Nera Shirts. I mentioned this brand out of Poland last summer, but last year it was for its summer dresses. This year I indulged in a few of these shirts. I wear jeans or relaxed linen pants to dinner a lot this time of year as I don’t frequent a lot of places in the summer that require me to dress to the nines. The beauty of these shirts is that they draw attention to your face and really light up a pair of jeans. I absolutely love the cotton Monica Nera uses - it is from Portugal and feels so crisp and high quality. And I love the color selection. I am showing some soft summer colors above, but I also have a lot of her pieces in the dark navy (which reads almost black but is more flattering)
With these shirts, I would be tempted to pull my hair back off my face (read: I wouldn’t have to wash and style it) and then put on some casual dangly earrings. Easy, peasy smart and feminine.
Marcella New York Alyssa Infinity Top. For date nights. I bought a few tops from this line over the winter, which is new to me, and in case I am lucky enough to get asked out on any, I thought I needed something softer, fitted, sexy and feminine for date nights. I wanted a shirt that could be paired with linen pants or jeans. Bingo. This top can be worn multiple ways. Can’t wait to try it out on actual dates. (I’ll let you know!)
PrimeCrush & Chill: Grown Up Love Stories Worth A Re-Watch: Enough Said. By Christian Pan
In this column, we reconsider stories about love. Between grown ups. Christian Pan is a writer based in New York City. Since 2021, he has published sixteen novellas and over a hundred short stories exploring the erotic imagination. In addition to book & film reviews, he hosts the Pulse Session for the monthly podcast All the Filthy Details, and is a founding author of TheoReads.
Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Colette Released: September 18, 2013 (USA)
Basic Plot: While attending a party with some friends, middle-aged massage therapist Eva books a well-known and successful poet as a new client, as well as meets an attractive single man that she begins dating. Her budding romance is jeopardized, however, when Eva realizes that her new client is the ex-wife of her boyfriend.
Summary: Massage therapist Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) hopes to find a new relationship in her life before her daughter Ellen (Tracy Fairaway) goes away to college in the fall. While at a party with her friends Sarah (Toni Collette) and Will (Ben Falcone), Eva gets introduced to two people that will prove important in her life: the wealthy new-agey poet Marianne (Catherine Keener) and the charming, down-to-earth Albert (James Gandolfini). While initially uncertain if she has any kind of chemistry with him, Eva is quickly smitten by Albert´s humor, warmth, and clear interest in her. At the same time, Marianne not only hires Eva for regular bodywork sessions, but becomes a new friend who tends to talk negatively and often about her ex-husband. When Eva realizes that the man she keeps talking about is actually Albert, she is confused: initially, she tries to keep these two worlds far apart, yet simultaneously finds herself internalizing a lot of Marianne´s biases towards her ex. Eva begins to alter her views to be more in line with the poet´s, trusting her own instincts and feelings of affection for him less and less. At first, Albert doesn´t understand the sudden changes in Eva´s personality, until one day he comes to Marianne´s to pick up their own college-bound daughter Tess (Eve Hewson), and discovers Eva there finishing a massage therapy session with his ex-wife. Eva does a poor job of playing dumb, and Albert immediately sees through her act; he ends their relationship, hurt and disappointed. After some weeks of no contact have passed, the two meet again, and Eva attempts to apologize to Albert for being so mean and thoughtless to him, as well as admit that she still has feelings for him.
Why Re-Watch: Enough Said was the final acting role to feature James Gandolfini, before his sudden death at 51 in Italy, and the film is dedicated to him. While billed as a romantic-comedy, the story´s humor will cause more smiles than outright guffaws, particularly from viewers dating as grown ups, in other words, similar in age or circumstances with the two main characters.
Continue reading here
Songs That Make You Wanna F*ck. A Compendium from the Readers of The Crush Letter.
An occasional pop-up where we share the songs that make CRUSH readers want to bang. Got one? Send it to us!
Submitted by CRUSH Reader Marilyn
I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
What about this song musically does it for you?
The lines “I saw him dancin’ there by the record machine / I knew he must’ve been about 17” and then “And I could tell it wouldn’t be long / Til he was with me, yeah, me.” This song just came on the radio and I was like, “Man, I LOVE this song. She (the singer/narrator) is SO FUCKIN’ CONFIDENT, she’s so GOING FOR IT.”
I was never like that! I was a ’good girl’ - good grades, after-school job, help with the dishes, even church on Sunday. I stayed in the lines. I ENVIED the daring ones. The bad girls. Still do.
Now and then, I break loose though. And listening to this song again makes me feel like I should.
Is there a memory you attach to this song?
I remember this song came out in 1981 and I was a senior high school then, and I remember how shocking and eye-opening it felt to be introduced to that kind of sexual aggressiveness, and hunger really, coming from a woman. Joan Jett was 21 when she recorded that song, so she was young enough to feel like an idol / role model (of sorts). All of the other rock songs were about men wanting women, men chasing women, or women wanting to be chosen. And then there was this song.
Who/What are you thinking of when you listen to this song?
I am thinking of being young and hot and in my late teens / early 20’s and dreaming about sex with boys.
Anything else you think we should know?
I LOVE The CRUSH Letter. And I love the fuck songs! Bring this back more often, please!
CRUSH Readers - got a song? Send it to us!
dishing.
things that are getting me off these days.
This Whole Lemon Vinaigrette from Food and Wine. It’s so light and tangy and summery. And easy.
The Ooni Koda 2 outdoor gas pizza oven. OMG, it’s amazing. My friend has one and she had a large crowd over while I was staying with her. One night we did a pizza and salad night by the pool. First off, it was so fun. Secondly, it was absolutely delicious. Such a hit with everyone. She says she does it all the time throughout the summer. CRUSHes, she makes her own dough and her own pizza sauce. (I am getting her dough and pizza sauce recipes, don’t worry.) She then tops the za’s with a variety of crowd favorites. In the meantime, though, the important thing about this Ooni is that it gets hot enough to properly cook the dough.
Social Media I Loved This Week
Song of the Week
I Love Rock 'n' Roll by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
XO,
Dish
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The Crush Letter
The Crush Letter is a weekly newsletter from Dish Stanley curating articles & intelligence on everything love & connection - friendship, romance, self-love, sex. If you’d like to take a look at some of our best stories go to Read Us. Want the Dish?
