Links & things for chaos prevention
These old faithfuls kept me somewhat sane during AWP17:
- A portable charger. Ha! So long suckers who have to fight for outlets in every corner of the conference venue. I use this one to keep me juiced up.
- LOQI bags because I always pick up too many things at the Bookfair
- This functional and small new backpack by Everlane. Big enough for my MacBook Air, and deep enough for some bulky things, even lightweight sneakers. I chose white and haven’t washed the yuck I’ve managed to spill over it, but I am confident it will clean easily.
- Mavala lip balm– For years I have hoarded extras because I am afraid that one day I’ll wake up and someone will discontinue this luxurious, rich smelling, perfect balm. Don’t do it Mavala.
- Best travel piece all around. Period. By Crane & Lion : It’s a scarf, a wrap cardigan a shawl, it fits everywhere and I own 3! Though C&L specialize in gorgeous and functional workout clothing, their lifestyle pieces are yum.
- I learned my lesson carrying around large surface notebooks to scrawl, write, and doodle. Once in a workshop a woman next to me remarked on how much she liked the way I was taking notes. I need space and room to spread my thoughts people! However, I wound up carrying too many things, my bags multiplied and all of them were too heavy to carry around comfortably. For this #AWP17 I grabbed myself some lightweight compact yet spacious smaller notebooks by Semikolon. Check them out! A gorgeous site with tempting options. Thank goodness for Google Translate.
Sustenance
Anyone who knows me will tell you I am big on snacks and I like them to be pretty. Here are some of the stops I made:
Pain Quotidien: I’ve been to the ones in Ct, NYC and was happily surprised that they were around the corner from my hotel in D.C. New faves from their winter menu: Steamed ginger lemon drink I picked up a large one of these every morning on the way in to the conference and a Daily Blend on the way back. Pick up the refreshing cups of natural juices and whole fruits and veggies and bring them up to the counter for an on-the-spot-blend.
When I tweeted out that the lines were worth it, I wasn’t kidding. These are nice folks and the coffee is worth the long line. Writer in one place gravitate towards caffeine.
Compass Coffee– Incredible smooth coffee and nice people
They make a great Cortadito and it’s almost as good as the one my friends in Brookline’s 4-A make it.
- All over great screen and eyeglass electronics cleaning cloth by Real Simple. I make a mess out of my eyeglasses all the time and this cloth is my savior. Since it’s big enough for my laptop screen too, my eyes and electronics are smudge-free.
- Muji Gel Pens- Muji has my heart in every single curated object they carry. I have too many colors of this pen but enjoy them all the same.
