Things *YOU* Liked in 2023
And just, like, one or two things I liked.
Welcome to the final days of 2023, I hope you’ve had a fantastic year.
The Things You Liked in 2022 newsletter was one of my favorites, and I’ve been SO excited to put this year’s together. It’s really cathartic to look back at the year and realize that it was filled with so much more good than bad.
I know I’m always going on and on and on about this, but Things I Like is the most fun, scary, annoying, freeing thing in my life, and I love it so much. I appreciate each subscriber, reader, share, comment, etc. I’m forever grateful for your support. <3
Anyways. Here are a few things a few friends of TIL and I liked this year. Please let me know what you liked this year in the comments; I LOVE reading them.
things I liked:
My Pebble Ice Maker. Being unemployed and beautiful. M3gan. Bubble braids. Seeing Jane Goodall in person. Pool floats. Strawberry mentos. Literally just releasing what doesn’t serve you. Taylor :). Being a lightning. Tic-tacs. Frozen drinks. Accepting that basic things are FUN. Kitsch. Pink heart emoji. Getting to the airport early. Fee-fi-fo-fum. “Working” at hotel lobby bars. Burger King Original Chicken Sandwich. Forcing my friends to become friends. Place des Fêtes. Conveniently forgetting things that happen. Kelsea Ballerini’s divorce album. Subs (sandwiches, not submersibles). Lake houses. Love Island Games. Muting people. Being so good at crosswords. Getting absolutely ZOOTED and playing Phase 10. “Well…I lost half a day of skiing.”
things Sarah liked:
Cosmopolitans. Having three oysters at Bar Bête and only Bar Bête. Dr. Dennis Gross 50 SPF sweatproof and waterproof sunscreen. Giving and receiving the compliment, "You smell good." Network detective shows where a charming and handsome civilian man somehow becomes a consultant for his local homicide unit and is invariably paired with a no-nonsense female detective who is gorgeous but dresses down to hide it. They work together for six seasons of cringe dialogue and absurd murder cases, both cheap vehicles for the real show: a palpable, ravenous, and tortuously slow will-they-won't-they. Seared cabbage with browned butter. Botox. Passive, agenda-less companionship, and by that, I mean watching network detective shows on Kelley's couch with takeout. Citibiking home over the Williamsburg bridge and getting a little emotional. Flirting with the bartender. Wearing stupid shoes that hurt my feet. Compeed blister-healding bandaids. My job. My friends. My local wash-and-fold laundry delivery service. When people are nice to me.
things Courtney liked:
Privacy (but I guess I’ll ignore that for this list). Not being hungover. Being able to book an appointment at the DMV. Not sharing my location. Icees. Part-time things (pets, jobs, etc.). My couch (when hungover). The Great British Baking Show. Napping. When airports have chain restaurants. Getting to the airport at the correct time. Lying to my friends about what time my flight leaves so they won’t judge me for how early I get there. Submerging my body into extremely cold water. Stein holding competitions. Typos in things that have been published. Flat, flat, flat pillows.
ten things Grace liked about me this year:
Haters will say it’s sucking up*, but they are just jealous.
Making you my Gay Costco Wife
Signing on as Co-Creative Directors of AmericanGirlHelloKittyBarbieSailorMoon™
Adult naptime (shout out to cult “yoga” studio Humming Puppy please sponsor us)
Hypebaby Sadie
Petit Paulette (even the days I wasn’t there, I was xx)
Who is she?
Is she the new balloon Elsa? Too soon to tell. Turning locations off
Finally, earning your respect in the Swiftie-verse by figuring out the address of both of TK's houses thanks to KC real estate connections <3
Bike wrecks
Becoming Jersey Shore girls (not related to #10) (unless) (jk John) (or…) (hehe)
Least Favorite Kelley Moment 2023 Edition
0. You not doing minis for a week and letting us think we won some and coming back and humiliating us and our families
*okay, haters were a little right, xx
(Kelley Note: Hey, I can’t control what people send in!!!)
things Kaileigh liked:
Texting anyone I’ve ever remotely interacted with about Fred again.. tickets. Asking anyone I’ve ever remotely interacted with if they want to go skiing. Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check. Weed gummies (California origins only). Being single. Watching sports for the ~plot~. A French 75. Slugging. Snapback hats. Carmy (from “The Bear”). Carmy (from “The Bear”) Halloween costumes. Spotify Daylists. Self Tanner. Hot Girl Walks. High Yield Savings Accounts (DM me for a Marcus by Goldman Sachs referral code). A healthy amount of gossip. Being the drama. Crystals. Chicken Caesar Salad wraps. The Amtrak. Polaroids. The return of mustaches. Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm. My Notes app. Taking the subway there so that I can Uber home. Matching pajama sets. Playing the lotto once a quarter. Belly laughs.
things John liked:
Shucked™. Moving in with my same-sex partner. John Early’s special (and being called out for saying Circus and making it into the special). The beach❤️. Having an iced cold bev in a Yeti cup with a straw on the beach. Crabbing. Calling my upstairs neighbor an elephant bitch. Giving personalities to inanimate objects. Dollywood😍 more specifically Mystery Mine™. Miami vices. Weekly frittatas. White water rafting. Twink waiters with bad attitudes that call you fat little piggies😍. That Gollum Snapchat filter (will never get old). Reading in a book club setting❤️. The feeling of seeing Troye Sivan in drag for the first time. Breaking down a full rotisserie chicken. Drapery xo. Green glasses. SZA again and again. G**rg* S*ntos (in the Twitter way, not the political way). My mom begging me three separate times not to drink the Panera Lemonade. Weeks when Twitter absolutely POPS OFF, and it feels like all the girlies are active in the GC. Kelley getting Provo, Utah as her Spotify wrapped location. Knowing that Lily is going to put espresso martinis with cognac on her list. (Honestly getting food poisoning from M**dy tongue was kind of an iconic 48 hours.)
things Max B liked:
Strength training. Stickers. Moving in with my same-sex partner. Journaling. Flipping between wanting a cat or a fish tank or a coral farm. Having my same-sex partner explain Twitter jokes to me to keep me in the loop. Making my own salads to bring to work. Ramekins. Edward Hopper. “My 30th birthday party.” Learning to love the Jersey Shore. Saying goodbye to my “pet birds” to move in with Johnny :(. Submarine grey nail polish. First annual pride party. Gourd tunnel. Getting read to filth by Michelle Visage. Fish tanks in bars. PIERCINGS round 2. John’s drapery (that lil bitch). (And M**dy Tongue was just as traumatic for me FYI.)
more things I liked:
Boomboxes. Reality shows about sports. Sherry cocktails. Always checking eBay first. Writing group <3. Drapery. 1989 (TV). Invisible ink texts. Annual book clubs. Balloon Saloon. Baby Sadie! Getting called a female incel because I think men who send super likes on Tinder, Twitch streamers, and fitness influencers should be at the top of the draft list. Prime Time™. Shake Shack. “Free” tea at Humming Puppy. Saying canon as it’s meant to be said (cuh-nahn). Jell-O shots. 2010s Soulcycle rides. Becoming a sports girl. Honkytonks. Mind maps. Kylie and Jordyn making up. Giving into the cringe. This specific CRJ song. Minor league baseball games. Having friends who have art shows. Compliments. Fruit with cheese. The idea of starting a podcast.
things Snooch liked:
Early dinner & drinks at the bar by myself. When people you just meet immediately talk shit at work. People who touch your arm or leg in a non-creepy way when laughing or agreeing with you. People who agree with me. The pickles in provolone cheese TikTok trend. Saying, “That’s a 2024 problem.” Rollerball perfume. When someone says, “take it back,” if I say something bad about myself. Lip oils (haven’t tried them yet, seem cool). Mini desserts in mini glasses with mini spoons. The joy and love and shenanigans that come with everyone loving Taylor. BOOKING TAYLOR WITH KELLEY AND LILY FOR PARIS 2024!!!!1
things Human Lily liked:
Taylor Swift (aka Mother). SMUT. Zicam. G Flip. Tuck & Rich & Clay & Snooch. Cognac espresso martinis. Caviar. My dog’s little teefs. Pool sandwiches in the summer. Press on nails. Nuuly. Trips to NY. Barbie. The new RHONY. Hosting. Visiting NY. The Cotswolds. Great fake bags. Wordle/Connections/Mini. Dyson cordless.
things Writing Lily liked:
Eating Ruby Jewel ice cream sandwiches while watching Suits. Outdoor showers. Doing the crossword before bed. Chili with cheesy polenta. Getting a whole dandelion out by its root while weeding. Taking a delicious nap. A house full of people. Conversations with momentum. Hearing my toddler imitate a crow. Watching my toddler experience my favorite place for the first time.
things Dog Lily liked:
Sleeping in the middle of the bed. The Hamptons. Car rides through the car wash. Puppicinos. Running up and down stairs. Cheese. Jack. Burrowing into a couch or a bed.
things Jen liked:
Falling in love with Kelley’s friends (Snooch, other Snooch, Chelsea & her (at the time) unborn baby, Rich). Voice memos to help me understand basic life topics. Tiktok diagnosing autism. Champers. Finding out that I do, in fact, like Lover. Taylor boosting the economy. Being able to talk about Taylor on Sundays with men who would rather not talk about Taylor but no longer have a choice. That British kid who named his pet moth, “Mothew.” Seeing pap pics of Taylor and immediately heading to the group chat to talk about how good she looks. Abercrombie becoming a staple in my closet once again.
things Erin liked:
Type of Day: Sunny with some puffy clouds
TV Show: Love Island Games
TV Cast Member: Callum from Love Island Australia/Love Island Games
Movie: Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
Podcast: Poog
Song: “Is This What You Wanted” by Leonard Cohen
Concert: alt-J’s 10-year anniversary of An Awesome Wave
Beer: Modelo
Drink: Negroni
Drunken Activity: Karaoke in a random man’s Bushwick recording studio with 8 French people we just met
Fun Book(s): The Hunger Games (trilogy)
Meaningful Book: The Heart of Tracking by Richard Vacha
Tea: Harney & Sons Loose Leaf Chamomile
Feeling: Blue sky euphoria while driving backroads listening to music (windows open weather dependent)
Cat: Jack
things Ricardo liked:
Madonna. Capri cigarettes. Drip coffee. The New York City Ballet. Praying. John Early’s comedy special. Soul Summit at Fort Greene Park. Taking the bitter with the sweet. Saludar de beso. George Santos’s paparazzi photo. “Twink Death.” Parker Posey. Group fitness classes. Ira Sachs’s “Passages.” Getting the hell out of Fire Island.
things Chelsea liked:
Yolanda Edward’s blog (worth paying for). MetLife Night 1. Finding a few grey hairs and having the emotional maturity to not pluck them. Garden-themed parties (i.e. Zucchini party). Knowing what the boys are buzzin’ about. Milk (preferably whole). Having the world’s cutest baby. Walking in to restaurants (no res). Taking taxis. Magnesium lotion. Shower essential oil steamers. The large super goop sunscreen. Hiring a professional (for anything). A simplified skincare routine. In-store purchases. Hair-specific drying towels.
BONUS, things Chelsea is over:
Y2K fashion (especially low-rise jeans). Expecting every celebrity to be an activist or thought leader. Gen Z attitudes. Wars. D2C brands. Vaping. George Santos. Recycled internet jokes. Therapy speak.
things Nick liked:
New MLB rules make for shorter games (no one needs more sports). YouTube Premium (it’ll change your life). Kindle (it’s so compact these days). Buying the hard copy of a book you read on Kindle that won’t ever be opened. Zach Bryan, Fred Again, Bad Bunny. Acoustic covers on YouTube with less than 100 views. Earnest, specific captions on Instagram that describe what we’re seeing. LindyMan on Twitter. Opining that “they don’t make ‘em like they used to.” Italian bed sheets. Mustard, no one’s talking about this but it’s having a year. Driving stick shift. Telling people about the “Mega Penguin”, which is a 7-foot Penguin. Wearing a suit outside of the wedding/funeral occasion. Denis Villeneuve films. The CallingOurShot 🪜. Sports group chats. Caitlin Clark. X-Files. ER. Lowering the top rack of your dishwasher to fit wine glasses. Emily St John Mandel Literary Universe. Asking people what they would do with 40 billion dollars if they were given 40 billion dollars and had to spend it all.
catherine’s list of:
Ins:
Babies. Bread. The SBS. Onions. Interpol. Roku city. Clam chowder. Walking two hours to work. Cortado. Toms. Asbury Park. Apple juice. Snails. Fortnite. Making your own tortillas. Tucson.
Outs:
Horses/cowboys-themed anything. Dumplings. Karaoke. CLEAR. Oysters. Diet Coke. Golf. Laptops. Pizza. Facial hair. Tomatoes. Chipotle. Mobile banking. Birkenstocks. Olipop. Boygenius.
things Max M liked:
Bobs! Bobs everywhere! Imagining all of my friends with bobs, myself included.
Saying, “Should we be bad?” before ordering another round of drinks. Jagerbombs are back! Discovering my inner Kelley Cutrone. Almost dying of heatstroke at the Russian Bathhouse. Introducing Aphex Twin to the youth and the elders. Going 365 days without trying Panera Killer Lemonade. Rewatching Girls with fresh eyes. That one time Catherine wore her funny little hat at my apartment.
things Tommy liked:
1. Tick-Talk: What can I say? I’m a watch guy now. Is it douchy? Yes! Do I know anything about watches? No! But I like to pretend I do.
2. Swinging the Sticks: Golf is back. In fact, I’m writing this list on my way to the course. Great outfits. Great beers. Great place to wear a watch (see above). Great place to go on a nature walk while looking for your ball.
3. Big Action, Little Screen: It’s time to watch all those bad action movies how the director intended — on an airplane. Transformers 8. Aquaman 2. The worse the movie, the better your flight will be.
4. Eric Adams: That’s the tweet. Now that George Santos is around, I’m worried this town ain’t big enough for the both of them. May the best drama queen win.
5. Digestifs: Amaro, Fernet, a Ferrari (1 part fernet, 1 part Campari). Every nice meal or night out is best ended with a lil sip.
things Barney thinks are IN:
Only making IN lists. Cleaning your own apartment. Having amazing wine at home. Group fitness classes. French food. Wearing your retainer. Having a baby. Actually going on dates. Thailand. Manhattan. Ski holidays. Australia. Minimalism. Christine Baranski. Dairy. The make-up make-up look. Siblings or dating comparisons. The notes app. Reunions. Chilled reds. Unknown Champagne houses. Fentanyl test strips. Carrie Bradshaw.
things Frank liked:
👁️👄👁️ <- this emoji combo. Getting fired ❌. Getting rehired ✅. Mother God 👽. The Knockdown Center 🥷. Cabbage steaks 🥬. Statement Tees 👚. My imaginary dog 🐶. Danielle Walsh 🍹. Pistol Annies 👠. Simplified Skincare Routine✨. Olipop Vintage Cola 🥤. Tech House 📀. Airplane Mode ✈️💺. The surprise surprise meme 🦄. Ricardo’s New Haircut🧑🎤. Turkish Russian Baths 🛁. Stress Management 🥊. Pickled jalapeños 🌶️. Saraghina Caffès updated menu 🧆. Taylor’s songs from the vault 🏦. Youtube Premium 🎧. High School Musical 2 🎭. Trisha Paytas 💋.
things Liz liked:
Bryr Clog's new "Chonk" Clog. Rye Manhattans. My dog getting cuddlier with age. Jean Hervé organic almond butter. Freshly baked bread from a local bakery that you slice yourself. My divorce. Ted Lasso. My sister's secret granola recipe. Pluto finally leaving my sign, which it hasn't done since 2008. Udon noodles. Remembering what it's like to be new at something. Monday/ Tuesday night writer's group. Collecting perfumes. Traveling without a rush. Hot springs (natural or built up). Spring. Glittery nail top coat. Peppermint tea before bed. Learning to love being a Capricorn. Prioritizing sleep. AG1, it's gross, but I'm addicted. David working from home. Sandwiches from Other Coast. Listening to podcasts more consistently. Making friends with my constant existential crises (or trying to). Mountain Tops where it snows in summer. Kissing in the rain. Paper snowflakes. Not finishing books I don't like. Letting myself be bored.
things Chelly liked:
Frozen Grapes. Substack. Sleeping more & going out less. Immersion blenders. Skiing in Banff. Living in Brooklyn! Franklin Ave. Getting in touch with my roots in Sunset Park. Trying out every yoga studio in BK. Dried mango. Fiction. Listening to books. Italian espresso maker & homemade cappuccinos. Going back to Panama for the first time since I accidentally moved away. Fam trip to Costa Rica. Leading a yoga retreat to Guatemala!! Going to the Barbie movie with 900 people. John’s beach house. Annie Piper’s classes at the shala. Decorating a new home. My nieces & lil half sis. Friends & family & dogs! And most importantly, *NSYNC’s “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” song.
even more things I liked:
Being annoying online. Getaway Car ft. Jack LIVE at MetLife Night 1. King’s Cup. Saying zooted. Birthday cards for literal babies. The crab rangoons at Abe’s Pagoda Bar. Brown noise. Guessing how many hot dogs people have eaten in their lifetime. Music Midtown. Asking boys what they’re buzzing about. The idea of a polar plunge. Sour strip candy. Getting matching tattoos with your best friend. John’s beach house before they put in toilet paper holders. TimTams. Tweeting to keep a record of the passage of time. Corded headphones. My slow descent into becoming the kind of person with a doll room. Making non-Swifties watch Eras. Posters. Being so busy living in the moment that you forget to take pictures. Selling my Peloton. Radio alarm clocks. Getting fired from a job I hated. Playing Hoobastank radio on Spotify.
And we end the good vibes here <3
But before we go, for luck…
just a couple of things I hated:
Cold feet (literally and figuratively). Losing Powerball. Mayor Eric. Riding real bikes. The apps. Duolingo. The idea of the 2024 election. Being cool. The “spy” balloon drama. Not immediately venmo-ing after an event, forgetting, and then being like well fuck me, right? The random yearning for a suburban life. Advertising. Taxis being just as expensive as Ubers. Everyone who bullied Human Lily into not posting the “slamming my laptop closed” meme every Friday, now how am I supposed to know the weekend has begun!? Starting a book. Throwing up at The Polo Bar. The TikTok Tarot Girlies™. The Phoebe and Paul breakup. Stomach infections. Celebrity fashion. Setting up mesh wifi. Getting your car towed. People who hate pretzels, like what do you have against the perfect crunchy vehicle for a dip or soft cheese? The high of working with your best friend every day to never working with them again. The lack of Diet Coke Vanilla with Extra Caffeine in America. People who regularly post on LinkedIn. The wildfire smoke over the summer. People wishing on my downfall! Tote bags, grow up. Cat food.
And…
Elon disabling embedded Tweets in Substack.
Happy 2024 <3 May all of your wildest dreams come true.
A perfect read
My fav substack of the year