Recless #1: Jasmine Hughes
Need a rec, look no further.
Jasmine and I have been friends since we were seven. Which is twenty years ago. We grew up on the same road in a village in Tipperary. We became friends not by faith or star alignment but because our parents planned it. Her Mom and my Dad set up our first date like some sort of arranged child friendship marriage.
It was the Summer and I remember being very taken aback that this young lady went for a crisp glass of water rather than a sweetened Robinson’s Orange (which was a Collins staple in the Summertime). She felt very grown up but was only four months older than me. We sat on my deck alongside our sisters and chatted. And honestly, we have continued to sit around and chat ever since.
Trading and talking about the books and magazines we loved. Jasmine’s Dad used to get her special tween magazines from the US which were the best things in the world to two girls from Tipperary. We watched movies, TV shows, and music videos on her portable DVD player. TOXIC by Britney Spears has never looked so good. We told each other secrets and made up dances in the hopes that our parents would let us have sleepovers. They didn’t.
As a teenager, I became increasingly grateful for Jasmine’s friendship. She gracefully grew into a swan and I remained in the ugly duckling stage with a crippling inability to hide how weird I was (it appears this is a chronic affliction). Even though she probably had far more interesting plans, she was always there to hang out with me on a Friday night.
Over the years Jasmine has gone from strength to strength both in career and life. It’s been such a joy to watch! She has this crazily intense positive attitude and inability to sit still. Every time I meet her I always come away feeling super upbeat and inspired. In her career, thus far she has been a million and one thing including but not limited to Food and Beverage Marketer, Social Media Queen, Chef to the Scandi stars, and her most recent venture is photography which is appearing all over the pages of Ireland’s leading magazines and newspapers. To say I am proud is an understatement.
Jasmine and I have been friends since we were seven. Which is twenty years ago. In many ways, things have changed; boyfriends, friends, schools, colleges, shoe choices, hair care, and dental equipment. Other things, however, have very much remained the same. Although we have moved further away from one another, nothing feels different when I plonk myself in the passenger seat, the heat in her car cranked up, to hear about her new adventure. Things feel just as fun, giggly, and exciting as when we were 16.
I do not feel much older than when I watched her cartwheel in my garden in our Summer dresses. I guess, time flies when you are having fun.
Without further ado…
Please note: Jasmine sent this to me via voice message, I am relying on the fact we are such good friends to distinguish what she was saying!
📚 Book 📚
The Creative Act - She shouts over the noise of the car that she is “back on her self-help bullshit but [this is] a slightly different genre” and loves this book as she finds it digestible and after she reads a chapter her “brain is on fire”. She says it’s similar to another creative book she read before (which I think might be The Artist's Way but I could be wrong) but thinks it’s good for “getting the creative juices flowing!”
Awaken the Dreamscape - She also just finished this, enjoyed it, and is finding that she is paying way more attention to her dreams.
🎥 Movie 🎥:
Lights, camera, action - Jasmine doesn’t have a current film rec but on her To Watch List is Searching for Sugar Man which is a documentary where two South Africans try to unearth whether the rumored death of American musician Sixto Rodriguez was true and, if not, to discover what had become of him. She said she “really really really really” wants to watch it. I’m personally not convinced but this is the woman who introduced me to the Pretty Little Liar books so she is a woman of taste.
📺 TV Show 📺
She has spent the summer outside so hasn’t watched too much TV but is looking forward to the new season of Wednesday. She does note that it is uncool but she enjoyed it, thought it was funny and something she could watch with her Dad. Not as kiddie she thought it would be but, an easy watch that gave her a good giggle and was well made.
🎶 Song 🎶
She utters the words “Song of the Summer” and doesn’t follow it by Chappelle Roan or Sabrina Carpenter which feels crazy! Her summer fave is Favourite by Fontaines D.C. She says it’s a brand shift for her but in my opinion, she’s lived in Cavan for a few months, which would ultimately change the brain chemistry of anyone.
I laughed my way through this. Am touched. Though my recommendations feel lame af reading them back. Also who the heck is Chapelle Roan.