If you’ve ever wondered what’s currently occupying my brain, this junk journal spread is a pretty accurate representation.
It’s my turn to share what I’ve been loving lately, and my list is a little all over the place. There’s a new creative hobby, a raspberry cheesecake dessert I haven’t stopped thinking about, two new tattoos and, naturally, something spicy.
Instead of simply making a list, I decided to put everything into a junk journal spread, which brings me to the first thing I’ve been loving.
My newest hobby: junk journaling
I’ve always loved anything crafty. Give me stickers, colorful pens, cute paper and an excuse to make something, and I’m happy.
Lately, that creative energy has gone toward junk journaling.
If you’re unfamiliar, junk journaling is essentially scrapbooking’s less structured cousin. There aren't really any rules. You can fill the pages with photos, stickers, receipts, ticket stubs, magazine clippings, packaging, scraps of paper or whatever else you want to hold onto.
I love that it gives all those little things I normally wouldn't know what to do with somewhere to go. A random receipt or cute piece of packaging can become part of a page instead of eventually ending up in the trash.
What I love most, though, is that unlike some crafts, I don't feel like it has to look perfect. The more layered, colorful and chaotic the page gets, the better.
Finally trying one of those viral fruit pastries
For months, I had been seeing videos on social media of people trying those hyper-realistic fruit pastries. Every time someone bit into one and the chocolate shell made that satisfying crunch, I felt a little bit of FOMO.
So when my boyfriend and I were walking down Fourth Avenue recently and I spotted them inside Tucson Chocolate Factory, I knew I had to try one.
I went with the raspberry cheesecake, a raspberry-shaped pastry that the shop describes as its take on a classic raspberry cheesecake. It’s made with creamy cheesecake mousse, a sweet-and-tart raspberry compote center and a delicate white chocolate shell.
And yes, it had the crunch.
Biting through the white chocolate shell was just as satisfying as all those videos made it look. The inside was creamy, tart and sweet without being overly sweet.
One of my favorite parts, surprisingly, was that it was chilled. After walking around Fourth Avenue in Tucson's humid summer weather, biting into the cold, creamy center almost felt refreshing.
Consider my fruit pastry FOMO officially cured.
Current snack obsession: Puro Papitas from Tanna's Botannas
If you know me, you know I love a good snack, especially when it's spicy.
Lately, I haven't been able to get enough of the Puro Papitas from Tanna's Botannas. It's a mix of Doritos, Hot Cheetos, Lay's, Takis, Japanese peanuts, pickles and rielitos, all covered in chamoy, Valentina and lime.
Basically, it's everything I want in a snack thrown into one container.
It's crunchy, spicy, tangy and a little messy in the best way. I especially love digging through the mix and getting something different with every bite.
Finding a new tattoo artist
I got my first tattoo in 2023. Sorry, Mom.
That first tattoo quickly turned into six, all done by the same artist. But after she moved away, my tattoo streak came to a halt. I hadn't gotten a new one since 2024, and I think part of that was because I was a little nervous about finding another artist I trusted.
Then I found Yvonne, the Tucson tattoo artist behind @vonsartistry.
I had seen Yvonne's work during pop-ups at Di Luna Candles and eventually started following her on Instagram. Her flash sheets would pop up on my feed, and I always thought her designs were so cute.
So when she announced an end-of-summer flash sale, I decided it was finally time.
I picked two designs from her flash sheets: a sacred heart, which I'd already been wanting for a while, and a little chile pepper that felt fitting, blending right in with the collection of small tattoos I already have.
I was shocked by how quickly she worked. I was in and out of the chair much faster than I expected, but you would never know it from looking at the tattoos. They turned out beautifully and fit in perfectly with the rest of mine.
Apparently my two-year tattoo hiatus is over, because I'm already thinking about what I want Yvonne to do next.
One last honorable mention…
Not everything I'm loving needs an entire recommendation.
My emotional support water bottle deserves a spot on the list simply because you will rarely catch me without it. Work? It's coming. Running errands? Obviously. Sitting approximately 10 feet away from the kitchen sink? Apparently, I still need it.
So there you have it: a little snapshot of what I've been loving lately, preserved in the pages of the hobby I've also been loving lately.
Maybe I'll have to make another spread when it's my turn again.
