What I Can’t Live Without: January 2025 Edition

A monthly catalogue of obsessions

Jan 26, 2025

tales.from.the.thrift

I recently learned of the existence of a museum in Alliance, OH called the Troll Hole and it is absolutely imperative that I go there. Apparently it holds the Guinness Book of World Records for largest troll doll collection (over 20,000!) and the level of sheer freakdom going on in there is unbelievable. The proprietor is a woman named Sherry with a penchant for exaggerated wigs and novelty hats who has created not just a stockpile of vintage troll dolls but a full-on immersive experience involving waterfalls, a grotto, and a “3 headed troll mountain.” On a scale of one to Demented, it’s pure, delicious insanity. Naturally, I’ve added a new stop on my imaginary bucket list of of Places I Wish I Could Go, which includes Elizabeth Tashjian’s (now-shuttered) Nut Museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut and the Altadena Bunny Museum, which tragically burned down in California’s recent Eaton Fire. There’s nothing more beautiful to me than an unfettered weirdo who follows their singular passion to a logical extreme, whether it be collecting Troll Dolls or something else. Someday I would like to road trip around America to experience all of the magnificent Freak Palaces that abound. Until that day…

What I’m Considering

Absolutely nothing! I’ve been so maniacally materialistic these past few months that I’m truly feeling burnt out and need a break. That said, I did get new prescription lenses put in my old glasses frames and while I was at the optician, tried on these lil Chloe numbers that I was really vibing with. Not sure if they’re significantly better than my current glasses—a subject I discussed at length in Irene Kim’s wonderful newsletter—but I am technically “considering” them.

What I Bought

I finally bought the stupid f*cking COS coat that I’ve now brought up in four (almost) consecutive newsletters. You probably don’t want to hear about it anymore so I promise to never mention it again. Here’s the last word: it’s spectacular and I love it

.One of my favourite—actually, scratch that, definitely my favourite—local Toronto-based brand, Comrags, held a sample sale last weekend and the room was filled with bookish middle-aged women wearing “smart” clothes paired with kooky glasses. I am aging into their exact target audience; it’s a joy to find a brand that resonates with your soul in such a holistic way. Every single piece I own by them is a workhorse in my wardrobe and I can’t wait to keep acquiring their clothes and building a cohesive wardrobe around them. If you want to know more about Comrags, I recommend reading this excellent story in The Walrus.

What I Wrote

ICYMI, in December I wrote a story on the rise of RealTree hunting camo for the Guardian and how its popularity ties in directly to the upswing of populist politics in the US.
For Toronto Life, I wrote about a guy who opened up a coworking space in his living room. This was a really fun one — the whole thing is bizarre, infused with naive optimism yet underpinned by a canny neoliberal understanding of real estate value.
Mastermind Magazine republished an essay I wrote last year on Bryan Johnson’s repulsive and vain quest for human perfection in the name of “wellness.” It’s good, I’ll probably republish it again here someday.

What I’m Reading/Watching/Enjoying

Anyone who asked me what I was reading in the past month was treated to a lengthy oration extolling the virtues of Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle by Clare Hunter. I was hooked from the first page. Hunter stitches a brilliant and colourful case for the importance of sewing throughout time, from Mary Queen of Scots’ embroideries made during her 19 years of exile, to the resistance of small squares sewed in the Changi Prison Camp during WWII, to the poignancy of the AIDS quilt. My favourite books are non-fiction ones that weave together unusual historical anecdotes to create a larger argument, and this book exemplifies the format. I felt like I was learning something new and fascinating each sentence. If you’re someone who, like me, finds meaning through fabric, I cannot recommend this book enough.
Die Hot With a Vengeance by Sable Yong. I’ve been a fan of Sable’s cool girl writing since the XOJane days, and though I often find myself disappointed by quality of books written by internet writers, I found it to be a relatively deep and searching meditation on the far-reaching implications of beauty culture. I adored how sharp and critical Yong is whilst clearly still driven by a pursuit of aesthetic enhancement, which goes to show that for some of us, criticism can be a love language. I’m a sucker for anything involving glam anecdotes about working at fashion magazines, and this book is crammed with them.
Curb Your Enthusiasm. I’ve been marathoning Curb and I can’t think of another show in which each episode is so consistently perfect. I feel extremely seen by Larry’s quibbling over semantics and tendency to see the worst in people. He’s genuinely one of the best “characters” on television, up there next to Nathan Fielder in terms of my favourite styles of comedy.