Weekly Hello #1: Our First Hello

Say hello to Hello Yellow!

Hey there- This week we’re getting our feet wet with our FIRST Weekly Hello! Ahead are some introductions and a quick lay of the Hello Yellow land. Be sure to check out our About Us page if you haven’t already and follow us on Instagram at @HelloYellowNewsletter. 

Reading Journal

This past week, I did the impossible and finished an entire reading journal from start to finish. For anyone unfamiliar, a reading journal is a common form of journaling in the book community where readers document all of their recent reads. This is my second time attempting to keep a reading journal, but it’s the first time that I actually stuck with one. I managed to fit six months of book reviews and mood boards into this journal and it’s big enough that I have to use some elbow grease to yank the journal strap over the cover to shut it close. There’s nothing more satisfying than a journal that refuses to close. I started this reading journal back in January of 2023 and stuck with three types of spreads:

• a monthly cover page

• a monthly dashboard page consisting of books I want to read and have read

• a book review spread

• an end of the month mood board consisting of images and aesthetics from all the books I had read in the month

Like with most forms of journaling, you can get flexible with the kind of spreads you make so do what feels right for you. I’m really glad that I stuck with this journal for the past six months and I can’t wait to start the next one!

- Kirthi

Costco Eggs

Remember during Covid lockdown when we all picked up new hobbies and one of the go-to work meeting ice breakers questions became, “What Covid hobby have you picked up?”

This question let everyone in the room know which of us performed the daily ritual of feeding and sniffing sourdough starters, who redid their homes with DIY furniture pieces made of overpriced lumber, those that tried (and failed) to knit sweaters without a pattern, and those that were slowly turning their guest rooms into a home gym one Peloton at a time. 

I vividly remember the day I found the Costco enthusiasts. We popcorned around the room, reciting our rehearsed responses, sounding like drones when one coworker excitedly exclaimed, “Costco! I go every single weekend and can easily spend hours there. I usually leave with more than I planned to buy, but never regret it. I love Costco.” Several nodded their heads in agreement. Not me.

Believe me, I wanted to love Costco. I wanted a Costco membership sooo badly. Unfortunately, I couldn’t justify buying in bulk. Living alone in a small studio meant the food would spoil before I even had time to think about eating it and even if I found a way to eat it all, there just wasn’t any space to store nonperishables. Luckily, when my partner and I moved in together, I gained a storage closet, kitchen cabinet space, and the added appetite of an adult male. Needless to say, I was more than ready to fork over $60 a year for that coveted Costco card. 

Much like my former coworkers, weekend Costco trips became our ritual and over nearly two years we’ve curated a list of items we purchase almost exclusively at Costco. One of those items was eggs. We love eggs and go through them fairly quickly so when we first found two dozen eggs for $7.99, we were over the moon. Over time, though, we’d found the eggs to be lacking. Pale, anemic yolks and an overall tasteless egg left a lot to be desired. After weeks of repeated disappointing egg hauls, my partner and I decided to taste test eggs from a local grocery store. We paid $8.99 for 18 eggs, rushed home, cracked two into a frying pan, cooked to over-medium, and eagerly sat down to eat. A little sprinkle of Maldon smoked sea salt and we were ready to dig in. We sliced the first egg open and a creamy, amber yolk rushed out. We scooped some onto our forks and took the first bite. It was divine. We’d found everything we’d been missing with the Costco eggs. Instead of trying to bury the egg in seasoning- something we’d grown accustomed to- it was so nice to let the egg shine, enhanced by just a touch of flaky salt. The carton didn’t even last the week. We’ve bought the new eggs 3 times now and don’t see ourselves going back any time soon. $0.17 cents more per egg might not be worth it to some, but is well worth it for our household. Don’t get me wrong, we still love being one of over 69 million households around the world to hold a Costco membership (according to investor.costco.com as of 5/7/23), we’ll just skip the trip to the egg pallet in the dairy section from now on.

- Tobi

Kirthi

Since I’ve committed to opening up my heart, mind, and soul for you all on a twice a week basis, I thought it’d only be polite to do a quick introduction of myself. I’m 25 years old, a first generation Indian American. I’m from South India and my favorite Indian dish is my mom’s Biryani. I’m most definitely a creature of comfort: I reread books, listen to the same songs on repeat, rewatch tv shows and movies, eat the same food the entire week, and I’m a self diagnosed outfit repeater. I’m also basic in the way that I like to start and end my day with a true crime podcast, love Diet Coke, and will devour any action movie.

I’m 4’11.5” (the half matters) and plus sized. I believe in the power of accessories and often paint my nails to match my mood or the mood I want to emulate. Another accessory for me is a good handbag. I have one too many handbags that I use as armor against whatever the world has decided to throw against me that day. I’m a Sagittarius and an introverted extrovert which translates to “I’m willing to try all the things, but please leave me alone so I can prepare myself first.” I’m a right-brained person who grew up in a left-brained environment and found myself in a job that is also very left-brained. Instead of spending my money on therapy, I love to raid thrift stores and Target for books and pretty notebooks.

I’m known as “that girl who reads” in all my friend groups. I read around 50 books each year and own more books than bookshelves. I read almost every genre like romance, fantasy, contemporary fiction, middle grade, and historical fiction. I’d say my least read genre is thriller and nonfiction which I’m working on fixing this year.

To check out some of my favorites, check out the About page!

- Kirthi

Tobi

Hiya! For those I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting, I’m Tobi. My name’s not short for anything- it’s just Tobi (with an i). I’m 26, half Israeli, half Jamaican, wholly human. My favorite color is yellow and if I’m out in public and see a baby, cat, dog, or squirrel I will react with the same amount of excitement every time and cut myself or anyone I’m talking to off mid sentence to bring attention to the cute subject (sorry, friends!)

I prefer:

• Early mornings > late nights

• Chocolate > vanilla

• Too cold > too hot

• Salty > sweet

I like to take pictures of the animals, greenery, and scenery around me- often forgetting to take pictures of myself and the people I’m with (which my mom cannot stand). I enjoy reading (physical books and audiobooks) and watching tv/movies- especially a good thriller. While I’m a logical thinker, I'm creative at heart and love stretching my creative muscles by doing crafty things like crocheting or painting (especially my nails). I often express myself through food- both cooking and eating, and would like to petition to formally make “eating food” one of the love languages. I love being in good company, but much prefer a night in over a night out. Board games with friends, binging reality tv, and late night heart-to-hearts were some of my favorite things to do as a 14-yr-old girl and still are, over a decade later. While we’re here I should also confess to being a strong believer in dessert. Not saying I need a 3 tier cake after every meal, but a bite of fresh strawberry or some other palate cleanser after a meal is always encouraged in my home.

If you’d like to know more, check out the About page. I’m so excited to start sharing my thoughts and experiences with you weekly and look forward to building a supportive, inclusive, kind community together!

- Tobi

“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.”
- Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond The Fear

I’ve found the jewels. Diamonds, emeralds, rubies, whichever you prefer, I’ve found them all. Every year my creativity fluctuates in intensity and medium. Two years past, most of my creativity was funneled into aesthetic journaling (think graphical collages and big spreads where I let myself be as emo as I need to be). Last year, I started writing fiction again. A lot of my autumn months in 2022 were dedicated to preparing and participating in NaNoWrimo or National Novel Writing Month. I wrote 60,000 words last November and now have an unfinished draft but the memories I made and lessons I learned were transformative to say the least.

While writing a book is terrifying, writing online isn’t. I’ve been running various blogs since 2014 so when Tobi and I played around with the idea of starting a newsletter, I knew it was an offer I couldn’t pass up. “Hello Yellow” is the perfect creative project that’ll force me to adopt a productive self-reflective routine that’ll fuel all my creative projects, including a middle grade book idea I’ve been working on the past few days. Creativity comes and goes in waves and when it comes, it’s best to catch that wave and let it take you where it needs to and that’s exactly what I’m planning to do. 

- Kirthi

“The time has come for me to break out of the shell
I have to shout that I am coming out"
- Diana Ross, I'm Coming Out

Creativity has always taken different shapes with me.

It shows in little ways each morning as I choose an outfit for the day. Like on my favorite denim jacket with sewn on patches from each of the National Parks I’ve visited. The khaki pants or button-down shirt I embroidered small flowers on to add a little pizazz. The pink, yellow, and green, and black vest I crocheted from my great grandma’s yarn scraps.

Creativity also shows around my home. The dining table we painted from a vision in my head- green with a sliver of yellow across the end of the table and one chair for- again- a little pizazz. The wall behind the television, covered with scenery pictures my partner and I took over the last few years. 

My creative spirit is constantly looking for ways to express itself- to come out- but sometimes I find myself stifling it. Like it’s a lump in my throat I’m trying to swallow. Sometimes it feels like there just isn’t enough time in the day to be creative. After I’m done working, eating, getting fresh air, and doing whatever else needs to be done, it feels like there’s not enough brain energy left to do what I actually want to do. Or better yet, there’s still things that should be done so I feel too guilty to indulge in the creative. But I’ve decided enough is enough! I refuse to lock my creativity away and let it drown in the mundane everyday tasks any longer. The first step is Hello Yellow. This new creative adventure is something Kirthi and I are committing to and I am so looking forward to sharing my heart, soul, and mind and growing creatively. So here’s to creativity and fostering a safe space to express ourselves. I can’t wait to see what’s on the horizon!

Also, I’ll definitely be jamming to I’m Coming Out all week and you should too.

- Tobi

Welcome to Hello Yellow-

Each week this section is meant to leave space for sharing something yellow we come across. Maybe something yellow we see in the wild, something yellow we eat, something yellow we buy- as long as it brings us joy and it’s yellow, it’s fair game. This week, however, since it’s the first issue and this newsletter is something yellow we’ve decided to give more insight on what to expect from Hello Yellow.

Weekly Hello

You’ve gotten your first taste of our Weekly Hello here!  Every Tuesday we’ll continue to share big & small changes to our daily lives and the world around us. This is our way of checking in and adding a little sunshine to your week.

Content Corner

We consume a lot of content, so on the 1st and 3rd Friday each month we recap what we’ve watched, read, listened to, and bought. Thrillers, romance, historical fiction, action, reality tv- between our two tastes Content Corner has something for everyone! 

Thinky Thoughts

On the 2nd and 4th Thursday each month, we let you in on something we’re thinking about. Each Thinky Thought Thursday we alternate sharing what’s on our mind. It’s up to the writer of the week to set the mood with a light-hearted and relatable story or a deep, introspective essay. This is a great way to get a feel for what’s taking up the space in our heads. We hope our thoughts resonate with yours and help you feel less alone, or make you think something new and spark conversations in your own life.

Finally, you may have noticed our beloved doodles in Saying Hello. Simply, the doodles are the two of us! The doodle girl with the flower dress and glasses is Kirthi while the doodle girl with the ruffle dress and curly hair is Tobi. They’re a sort of visual signature- indicating which of us wrote the corresponding material (especially in Content Corner pages).

We thank you for taking the time to subscribe and read through our first Weekly Hello. If you have specific topics you’d like to request we touch on in a future newsletter, DM us on instagram at @HelloYellowNewsletter. We look forward to hearing from you!