The Shortlist: Vol. I, No. Four

Take a trip with me back in time.

25 years ago tomorrow, I graduated from high school. I can’t possibly be this old. But, somehow, I am.

Old enough to remember a world before the Internet. Before streaming. Before Amazon. Before Google.

To have used a rotary dial phone, a VHS tape, a floppy disk, an electric can opener, and a calculator that wasn’t an app.

To have driven a manual transmission.

To have got into trouble for tying up the home phone for more than 15-minutes.

To have shopped from catalogs, and then waited weeks for the items to arrive.

To remember another world that my child will think of in the same way I thought about my parents’ stories about 5-cent candy bars, cars without seat belts, and having only three channels. It’s incredible what can change in just one lifetime.

And as I approach this zany milestone, I’ve found myself strangely nostalgic. So here are a few of the things that caught my eye this week as I reveled in a bygone era.

Vintage Films // Yes, technically 10 Things I Hate About You and most of the movies I was raised on are “vintage.” Shudder. But that doesn’t mean they don’t hold up.

For me, 10 Things is my favorite 90s movie that can still be watched in 2025, with no loss of quality. I asked my readers to suggest some other movies and television shows that hold up to a modern standard while still being a totally enjoyable watch, and here were the suggestions I will be adding to my own list or were already there:

• Clueless

• The Sandlot

• Mrs. Doubtfire

• Daria

• Legally Blonde

• The OC

• ER

• Princess Diaries

• Veronica Mars

• Notting Hill

• The Lindsay Lohan Parent Trap

Also, many, many people were very conflicted about The West Wing. Some said it still works. Some said it looks horribly dated. One said it was misogynist. But a few said they still really needed to believe in working government.

Klutz Books // A friend’s daughter is turning 11 next month, and this was the first thing I thought of for a gift. Who didn’t have this Friendship Bracelets book? I spent hours leaning how to make new bracelet styles and pilfering my Mom’s embroidery thread to mix and match all the colors. Or if you’re so inclined the greatest paper airplane book, ever. I don’t know who is going to like this gift more, my friend or her daughter.

Disposable Cameras // So point and shoot cameras are back. My friend’s 18-year-old daughter had disposable cameras as party favors for her recent sleepover. The guests took photos all night and Mom had them developed in the morning so the girls could look at them and choose a few before they went home. My friend said they laughed for hours at the imperfect shots, far different from the filtered photos they post to Instagram. Might be a fun way to celebrate a wedding or capture your next vacation.

So what are you nostalgic for? A signature scent? A favorite snack? Leave your comments below.

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