Spring Szn, As The World Turns

A Spring Edit/Guide to Romanticize the Season

My people! I have missed you. I have been away longer than expected, with drafts sitting in a folder. Life is…of course, lifin’, but words have also been pouring from my fingertips to scribe my pending book—the second of The Gifted Society trilogy. I’m still trying to figure out a rhythm to my writing schedule. When do I write the newsletter if I’m also drafting my book? I haven’t quite figured out how to use those parts of the brain on the same day.

For me, any writing is journaling. I don’t need a notebook describing my feelings or what’s on my mind to fill my cup. This does it for me. Speaking through my characters and building histories and otherworldly infrastructures is my weapon of choice—at least for now.

I have much to yap about; my struggle is finding the time to yap in a critical and fun way with pop culture insight. I’m not as quick to make content as my brain is in fixating. But I have noticed a little pep in my step—a battery in my back if you will. And thank goodness for that! Internally, I have been waiting for my energy to align with my ambitions a bit more, and I think the change of season has had so much to do with it. Dare I say I love Spring? At the cost of pollen pulverization, yes, but the vibrancy it has given me has made it worth it.

As soon as that groundhog (not Punxsutawney Phil, but Chuck from New York who has an 85% accuracy rating—the highest of all groundhogs!) declared a short winter, my polar attitude began to thaw. I’ve deep cleaned my house several times, my writing drafts have been more fluid, I’m working on the artwork for The Gifted Society 2 with Clara, I’m working on a website and brand refresh, I am exercising consistently like a whole new woman, I have worked in my garden almost daily, and I am looking forward to my birthday this year—a spring maiden, I am.

In the spirit of such change, you know I love me a good seasonal guide to romanticizing the seasons. We grow up with things planned for us, which have served as memories and symbols defining holidays and times of the year. We lose that as adults, as it becomes our job to create that magic for others we love, but dammit, we should do it for ourselves too, no?

Consider this guide your permission slip to live your spring life like a slow indie film, where every detail is drenched in dreamy technicolor, meaning, and magic. Whether you’re wandering through blooms, curled up with a book, or dancing around your kitchen to a perfectly curated playlist. Let’s get into my official Spring Szn Romanticizing Guide.

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🎬 Spring Films to Romanticize the Season

Modern Magic & Offbeat Charm:

• Penelope – Whimsy, love, and self-acceptance wrapped in velvet coats and spring hues. One of my faves! No one has ever been cuter with a pig’s snout than Christina Ricci.

• Stardust – Fairy tale romance with starlit skies and adventurous hearts. My introduction to Charlie Cox before he became Daredevil.

• The Peanut Butter Falcon – A tender journey, Southern sunshine, and found family. So adorable and sweet.

• Emma (Anya Taylor-Joy, 2020) – Pastels, mischief, and a perfectly spring wardrobe. Autumn de Wilde’s turn at this classic really does it for me. Mia Goth is charming and Anya Taylor-Joy taps into the immense talent she harnesses by making her nose bleed on queue.

• Palm Springs – Time loops, absurdity, and unexpected romance blooming under chaos. Andy Samberg reigns as the quintessential millennial class clown, so he will always hold a special place in my heart. This film is also my first exposure to the Gotham Queen Cristin Milioti (The Penguin).

• Pride & Prejudice (2005) – The rain scene. The hand flex. The green fields. Keira Knightley in a period piece—who does it better? I’ll wait!

• Portrait of a Lady on Fire – All firelight, slow gazes, and wild coastlines. An absolute gorgeous film.

• Two Can Play That Game – An iconic early-2000s rom-com with all the essential elements, comedy, and spring fashion. One of my faves in Black film. Vivica Fox and Morris Chestnut are the perfect leading woman and man.

For cozy-core:

• The Secret Garden – Because spring is nature’s way of saying “heal.”

• Little Women (2019) – Art, sisterhood, and wistful walks in the countryside. Don’t hate me for mentioning this version of Little Women again, but I cannot sing its praises enough. It is spring just as much as winter—and this version shows such a grand cycle of death to life through the plot, color, and seasons.

A dose of musical rebirth energy:

• Summer of Soul – A cultural spring awakening through rhythm and resistance.

A24-style Melancholy Meets Light:

• Big Fish – Magical realism with a floral Southern Gothic heart. Visually delicious. A tale of fatherhood. One of Tim Burton’s best.

• Past Lives – (The actual A24 film in this category) Soft heartbreak and sliding doors. Missed opportunities. Time and distance changing the course of the future.

• Columbus – Architectural stillness, gentle dialogue, and spring introspection.

  The Half of It – Tender queer longing in a sleepy spring town.

Soft Girl Spring Throwbacks:

• Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola) – Rococo fashion, cake, and rebellion in Versailles. Also, the examination of girlhood intersects with the requirements of power and responsibility.

• Dickinson – 1800s girlhood with modern pop angst and flower crowns. I feel like Caroline Calloway most likely made this her personality when it came out.

• Funny Face – Paris, pink, and Hepburn in her prime.

• Sabrina – Transformation from pining and melancholy to happiness and self-love, timeless beauty, and quiet charm (another Hepburn classic. She birthed so many aesthetic daughters with her looks in this one!).

Whimsical Animated Escapes:

• Howl’s Moving Castle – Magic, messiness, and castles in the clouds. Did I mention Christian Bale and his lisp voice as the main character? Lauren Bacall also lent her voice to the film in what was one of her last projects.

• Kiki’s Delivery Service – Spring as independence, broom flights through sunny skies and a coastal town, creativity, and cozy corners. Kiki’s Delivery Service is a sweet story that resonates with the struggle of an artist turning her passion into work and the burnout that comes with it.

• Fantasia 2000 - A good sensory retreat from overstimulation. The music of Gershwin + gorgeous animations. Lay like broccoli and let it recharge your extrovert.

• (One more animated film came to my head, but seeing as it traumatized an entire generation who saw a Deer Prince become an orphan, I won’t do that. )

Classic Old-Hollywood Spring Energy:

• Easter Parade – Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, technicolor, tap dancing, and joyful romance!

• Cover Girl (1944) – Rita Hayworth + Gene Kelly + blooming starlet dreams—and the clothing ensembles= a sensory delight!

For Literature-Lovers & One for the Mischief-Makers:

• Much Ado About Nothing (1993) – Shakespeare + Tuscany + 90s cast magic and the definition of 90s fine. You have Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washington, and Kate Beckinsale looking stunning! Speaking lyrically. Oh, the whimsy. What more could you ask for?

• Queen Charlotte – Regency romance, royal intrigue, spring court aesthetics. Out of all the Bridgerton seasons, this spin-off is leagues ahead in first place. It is sweet and whimsical. I still swoon at that “Heaven and Earth” monologue.

• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – Teenage rebellion + city daydreams = spring energy. Is it really spring if you don’t feel like crashing and leading a daytime parade?

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📚 Books to Read This Spring

Classic Prose:

• Emma by Jane Austen

• A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Modern Faves with Spring Soul:

• Happy Place by Emily Henry – A romantic retreat with messy hearts written by the Queen of Banter.

• Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi – Magical time-traveling café.

• I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson- A phenomenal coming coming of story. Set love free, and see what happens.

• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – Infinite lives, fresh starts. Think of what it would be like if you had several lives in a multi-verse.

• Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors – Layered, lyrical, and emotionally rich. As a sister, I am a moth to a flame anytime a story revolves around three or more sisters and their relationships.

• The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw – Lush, tender, and intimate. Something about women analyzing their place in the world and taking agency over their lives feels fresh and empowering, perfect for spring.

• Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson – A love story written like music. Seriously, one of my favorite recent reads. I wish I wrote it!

• If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha – Beauty, class, and rebellion in neon Seoul.

Soft Fantasy & Poetry Girls Unite:

• The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst – Bookish magic, cozy vibes, a great read for autumn and spring lovers. Two birds with one stone!

• The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields – Spring enchantment, healing, and romance. I haven’t read this yet, but it gives me an English country and garden feel.

• Dream Work by Mary Oliver – For nature lovers, quiet mornings, and poetic rebirth. This collection is uplifting and warm.

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Spring Activities—A Seasonal Bucket List

• Visit a botanical garden🌼

• Start a small salad garden and/or pollinator garden (bees and butterflies will thank you!) 🌼

• Solo date with your journal + a lavender latte or matcha (lavender everything!) ☕

• Go on nature walks and collect foliage and flowers to document in a journal 🌸

• Press wildflowers into your favorite poetry book and make art with them🌸

• Bake something delicious with lemon, lavender (yup!), or strawberries 🍓

• Host a picnic with your friends at your favorite park, and bring moody music 🎻

• Visit an indie bookstore. They need your support now more than ever 📚

• Make a seasonal mocktail with edible flowers 🍹

• Take Polaroids of tiny beautiful things — fresh fruit, flowers, painted nails, aesthetic corners in your home bathed in sunlight ☀️

• Make Sun Catchers ☀️

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A Spring Playlist: For Those Light Main Character Moments

• “Golden” - Harry Styles

• “Here Comes The Sun” - The Beatles

• “Are We Still Friends?” - Tyler, The Creator

• “Closer” - Goapele

• “Iris” - Goo Goo Dolls

• “Boys Don’t Cry” - The Cure

• “Smooth Operator” - Sade

• “Call Me” - Al Green

• “It’s Whatever” - Aaliyah

• “Dreams” - Fleetwood Mac

• “Daylight” – Harry Styles

• “Valerie” - Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse

• “Be My Baby” - The Ronettes

• “Feather” – Sabrina Carpenter

• “Sunflower, Vol. 6” – Harry Styles

• “Sunshine” - Cleo Sol

• “After the Storm” – Kali Uchis ft. Tyler, The Creator and Bootsy Collins

• “Save Room For Us” - Tinashe

• “Say You’ll Be There” – Spice Girls

• “King of Wishful Thinking” - New Found Glory

• “Clueless” - Beach Bunny

• “Everything” - Fefe Dobson

• “Dreams” – The Cranberries

• “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” - Lauryn Hill

• “Like A Star” - Corinne Bailey Raye

• “You’re So Vain” - Carly Simon

• “You Make Me Feel So Young” -Frank Sinatra

• “As” -Stevie Wonder

• “Someone To Call My Lover” - Janet Jackson

• “II Hands to Heaven” - Beyonce

🩰 Listen on Spotify:

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Remember to be gentle with yourselves and soak in the cycles of nature. They can tell us a lot about what we need and who we are. :)

“The beautiful spring came and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also”. —Harriet Ann Jacobs