The Pleasure Lists Q&A: Grace Dougherty

Pleasures, Curated by Grace Dougherty

We’re back with another installment of

The Pleasure Lists

: Pleasures, Curated.

I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoy getting to know members of the Pleasure Lists community and what makes their Pleasures tick.

Pleasures, Curated by

Grace Dougherty

of

Jelly Sandwich

From Grace:

I am an actress and writer who can't seem to escape my life as a fashion assistant.

I write a newsletter called

Jelly Sandwich

that was inspired by an Ed Ruscha. I try my very best to write twice a month, and let myself have a treat if it's thrice. Jelly will be one year old in April.

I live in Los Angeles despite some people thinking I still live in New York. I do not. I do, however, try and visit once a quarter.

Love,

Grace

Social: @graceodougherty

Location: Los Angeles

Pleasures

Mulholland Drive

Mulholland Drive is a long winding street in Los Angeles that stretches far and wide from Beverly Glenn in the West all the way East to the 101 by Hollywood Hills. On one of my first trips to LA before I was a resident I remember riding in the backseat of an Uber twisting and turning by the Hollywood sign along Mulholland. It’s one of the most famed streets in LA, probably coming in second or third after Sunset Boulevard, and tied with Hollywood and Vine, and for good reason. I’ve spent a long time chugging up this cherished Drive, mostly around dusk. I’ve watched the moon rise over downtown, the sun gleam through the valley, and the sky turn to purple.

Doilies

I recently went to my friend Riley’s and noticed that she had a doily overtop of her fruit bowl. Her entire kitchen looks like it came straight out of the English countryside, which would make sense given that Riley is English.

The art of coffee

I started drinking coffee when I was a senior in college, so about 8 years ago (horrifying), and only in the past few years have I made it one of my life's biggest luxuries. At first, I drank coffee casually, usually iced with almond milk and a Splenda (disgusting). Over time I stopped adding sugar, stopped drinking nut milks (I was never lactose intolerant, just following the milk trends), and started doing what regular Americans do which is drinking whole milk. Drinking drip coffee every morning from my Moccamaster is my favorite ritual. I believe I am a true coffee connoisseur. I prefer chocolatey, caramel notes rather than fruity or citrusy ones. My favorite coffee shop in New York is Abraco and in Los Angeles it’s Maru (predictable?). At Abraco especially I like to get a cappuccino with a side of sparkling water. I also love diner coffee and Dunkin Donuts is great in a pinch. One day I will have a silver coffee set and matching espresso cups. Right now I take my drip with half and half. One day I will drink my coffee black with a sugar cube. Quite chic.

A spick-and-span home

A clean house is one of my greatest pleasures. I can clean better than anyone I have ever met, including those that do it for a living. Seeing a carpet vacuumed, my counters wiped clean, my mirrors without a speck of toothpaste, the dishes done and put away– it really is something. A sigh of relief. Best paired with incense burning or a fire in the fireplace.

Jazz music, especially Wynton Marsalis’ Standard Time Vol 2: Intimacy Calling

My father introduced me to jazz at a younger age than you’d think a child would get into music. When I was 10, I visited New York for the first time. It’s the only time in my life I’ve stayed at The Ritz! (great pillows) My father paraded me around uptown. We saw Karrin Allyson live and the same night, Wynton Marsalis at Dizzy’s. I had the pleasure of meeting Marsalis backstage (I even still have the playbill!) after a photographer at the event took a liking to me. Since then, his music has been a constant in my life. So many things have changed, faded, gone away, but this has remained exactly the same.

The journal from my first New York trip when I saw Wynton :)

Writing ephemera

I have piles of cards and different ephemera in my “office” (guest room with a desk) to write on and send love notes. That, along with notepads from hotels, pens, napkins even... My current favorite is the personalized stationary I gifted myself for Christmas. I think this habit is the adult version of “school supplies”, except I don’t have to worry about buying it all at once in September, it’s a year round gig.

Passionfruit

Until I moved to California I had no idea what a passion fruit was (I am from Baltimore). I remember trying one in the kitchen of my first apartment in LA, as one should try anything, plain and with a spoon. I marvled at the sour taste, though it confused me at first. It was quite tart and the seeds were so crunchy. It was a new sensation, as were many things around the time I moved West. I love passion fruits more than any other fruit. I eat one every morning (when they’re in season, which is most months here) over yogurt, specifically Bellwether farms, which they do not sell in New York, at least not to my knowledge.