Lately.

I'll be back next week with Recommended Reading, Non-Career Advice, and a POV — in the meantime, a few snaps from the past couple of weeks on Instagram and beyond: Jamie reading on one of our many sunlit sills; breakfast at a new-ish neighborhood gem; a visit from Charlie, one of my oldest family friends; and a group of kindergarteners dancing the hula, a highlight of my niece's seventh birthday.

Have a wonderful weekend. See you Monday!

Records of Records.

Charmed on this storm-cloud-heavy Tuesday by Things I Found in Records, a submission-based Instagram feed that documents notable curiosities found inside old record sleeves. There are religious pamphlets (and one warning against the dangers of heroin); a Penthouse calendar; a marijuana license, yet unsigned — the list only gets more interesting. My guess is that this feed will, too. Follow along here.

See also: handwritten recipes found in books, including jambalaya inside How to Show Your Own Dog, and squash pickles inside the "shocking" novel Horns of Ecstasy. Too good.

Recommended Reading / 34.

Every Monday, words to start the week. 

This week, from The New York Times: a engrossing look into the lives of six dynamic New Yorkers, all over the age of 85. According to author John Leland, they belong to one of the city's most rapidly expanding demographics, and are the unwitting stars of what he refers to as "a New York soap opera, unscripted." Indeed, their stories are complicated and colorful, sweet and often tinged with sadness. Of course, there's just as much brightness, too. Says 88-year-old Frederick Jones, from his hospital bed: "I like to say I'm supremely blessed...I'll leave it at that. You know that saying, 'Heaven is my home, but I'm not homesick'? I want to stay right here. I'm not in no hurry."

Photos by Nicole Bengiveno for The New York Times.

Three more, just because:
-The Good Bagel Manifesto.
-An entire hotel room contained in a 132-pound portable box.
-A form of non-career advice, courtesy of an eight-year-old: "I plan to be kind and brave."

More recommended reading, here. Wising you a very happy Monday.

One for the Books.

Today: lightheartedness before the weekend in the form of Literalogue, a postcard and print series designed to help curious readers discover books they'll love. The collection showcases five centuries' worth of great writers, along with memorable quotes, facts, and handy lists of similar authors for those in search of their next great read. Lastly — in a strange and charming twist — the authors are grouped by literary movement according to color-coded noses: orange for the Naturalists, purple for the Aesthetics, lime green for the Beat Generation.

See more (and back the project) on Kickstarter.

Also, for fellow writers out there, I loved this list of "most important" advice from famous authors. This gem from Murakami stands out in particular: "Every time you write, ask yourself: Could this scene take place in a hot-air balloon? If the answer is yes, then it probably should.”

Have a wonderful weekend.

Non-Career Advice: Lisa Przystup.

Non-Career Advice is a series that asks people - young, old, and in a range of occupations - for words of wisdom unrelated to work, career-building, dollars, or getting ahead.

Name: Lisa Przystup / Florist 

Also: Writer / early riser / hopeless romantic

Age: Mid thirties

Don't fake it — you'll still make it. "The most important lesson I've learned is not to compare myself to others — and to be perfectly honest with you, it's something I have to constantly remind myself. The struggle is real. I mean this in every area across the board: style, looks, the way your body is, noticing what other people are achieving. I'm a writer in addition to being a florist, so by nature, I'm curious about other people's experiences. I've talked to so many creatives I admire who tell me they feel the same way — it's hard to look at Instagram and social media and not think, why don't I have that? Or, maybe I'm not doing enough. A photographer friend recently said to me, "I do that, too" — and I thought, you? It was surprising. It was heartening. 

At the end of the day, your life is your life. There's no point trying to make it look like someone else's. It's like clothing: if you're wearing something you're comfortable in, that's going to come across, and vice versa. It's the same thing. When you're trying to be someone else, people can tell. You can feel it, too, and it's exhausting. So try not to listen to that junior high schooler in you who wants to be like everyone else, and just do what you do, the best you can do it. That's how we develop strong personal identities. You can't force it — but confidence gets easier as you get older. In the meantime, just look down at your own two feet. You'll get there."

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Thanks so much, Lisa. More from the Non-Career Advice series, here. Photo by Shanita Sims.