Espresso Martinis from (from @WakeCoffeeGo) fueled the girlies at our most recent live show at Nina’s Boutique this week.

This show, the girlies got deep. We discussed everything from new trends (wtf is up with the Skimms Bush Thongs!?) and old habits.

If you’re a candle girlie, you should know how great it smelled at the Nina’s event, courtesy of the pumpkin candle from Love Square One. This candle may have single handedly changed the outcome of the Week 1 Basic Witch Bracket (bye week, stay tuned for Superbowl).

New Here? After every live show, we send out a recap & reco newsletter so you can stay in the loop on what the girlies are talking about and recommending.

Worth It? Oura Ring: Yes. But make it chic (look at a gold or silver option) and stack it!

Best Sleep Aid? Many girlies say try magnesium (yes, there is an accompanying gut cleansing period).

😥 Acupuncture for Anxiety? One girlie highly recommended and was even fresh off an appt.

🍆 Is Sleeping With Your Best Guy Friend a Do or Don’t? And What if I Already Did? We say, we need to know more.

💅🏼 Soap Nails are a firm pass, but 90s lips are a fall beauty trend we could get behind.

📱 The Algorithm is weird. One girlie mentioned getting served an ad for a multi woman marriage and another didn’t understand why she was seeing posts for the NYC Marathon despite not being a runner.

🥑 This avocado hack may be better, but it makes us feel weird.

and IYKYK…. Some dinner dates come with a side of meet the parents, HR has seen it all, and doom scrolling got the seal of girlie approval. Mostly.

🍿 Binge: Netflix owned the night. Girlies strongly approved the following shows from the major streamer; The Woman in Cabin Ten, Wayward, Black Rabbit, Love is Blind Denver, Victoria Beckham, House of Guinness.

Plus, get your True Crime Fix with the following: My Father the BTK Killer, True Haunting, and Monster the Ed Gein Story, which girlies said it’s dark but good. Plus Charlie Hunnam was great, fueling our issues with hot monsters.

🫢 Skip (or silently ignore):
Ruth & Boaz (Netflix) tops the streaming charts, but the girlies weren’t super enthusiastic. No one had started Boots (Netflix), or The Chair Company (HBO).

🎲 Split the Room:
The Terminal List (Amazon) some girlies loved it and others were less sure.

Crowd Favorites: Girlies in the audience made sure we wrote down: Dancing With the Stars (ABC), The Gilded Age (HBO), The Morning Show (Apple), Love Thy Neighbor (Tubi), and another show that both Carol and I wrote down and I can not read either of our handwriting.

Not a ton of book recos came out of this show, but here’s what some book clubs are reading this October.

Reese didn’t have an Oct pick because she is promoting the book she co-wrote the suspense thriller Gone Before Goodbye. As if Reese wasn’t already doing enough.

Read With Jenna / The Today Show: The Irish Goodbye, an emotional family drama by Heather Aimee O’Neill.

New Friends is a local club that picks three books a month, and you can choose which one most interests you. We asked if anyone had read Hot for Slayer by Ali Hazelwood and the crowd went suspiciously quiet. Personally, I can’t walk past a Target book endcap—or scroll for more than five seconds—without seeing her name everywhere. Be honest, girlies… is she worth the hype?

BookTok is hyped for: Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber, The Intruder by Freida Mcfadden, and the Cinnamon Bum Bookstore, part of Laurie Gilmore’s Dream Harbor series. A girlie in the crowd said the series is easy and cheesy (complimentary).

We looked at the newest spots popping up around Lake Norman (and nearby) to see which ones the girlies think are worth the hype.

📍 New, and Approved
Florence just opened in Mooresville and the girlies say go! Mooresville’s Whataburger location is now also open.

If you’re braving Birkdale, feel confident grabbing a table at North Italia, Bartaco (just don’t ask us to pronounce it), and Burtons (one girlie mentioned they are good for gluten free!).

Paloma for brunch and cocktails.

🚫 No one can vouch for
Zekos Village in Denver

🥨 From The Crowd
If you like traditional German cuisine, The Bavarian Kitchen is where it’s at. Make sure to make a reso.

Carol: After the show this week, I told Skylar my new barometer for how well a show is going is the number of girlies turned around in their chairs talking to someone behind them. The girlies at Nina’s did not disappoint. Skylar and I sometimes have to suppress our stand-up instincts to halt side conversations and remind ourselves, oh right… that’s the point.

We always describe Group Chat Girlies as “comedy and conversations” - because that’s the goal. A room full of laughter and connection. While the best thing about being a woman is the prerogative to have a little fun, the second best thing is when another woman says to you “wait, that happened to me too.” I can confirm, GCG live shows are full of both.

This week I had the sheer joy of meeting Simone & DJ, two women who met at a GCG live show & have become besties (and were out and about IRL at another comedy show!)

I’ll be over here crying in the corner.

Skylar: Friendship is a relationship.

At a few shows lately, I’ve noticed a version of the same question pop up: “Why is it so hard to make friends?” or “Why do friendships fade?” or “Why are friendships hard?” And every time, my heart breaks a little.

Partly because I feel so lucky to have what I truly believe are the best friends in the world. Partly because I get it. It is hard. Even the easiest friendships take effort.

At their best, female friendships are pure magic: a girl who sees the best in you when you’re at your lowest, who inspires, validates, encourages, and reminds you that you’re going to be okay, because no matter what you at least have her. They can help you find yourself, your passions, and what the best parts of life are made of.

But they can also be drama. Heartbreak. Betrayal. The slow fade of someone who once felt like your other half. It’s watching your friends hit milestones before you do—and celebrating them while quietly wondering when it’ll be your turn or if your friendship wisustain the new dynamics.

So yes, it’s hard. And with all due respect to the girlie in the audience who said, “If it’s hard, it’s not right,” I think true friendships are hard sometimes. Because the best ones teach you how to become the best version of yourself. And that kind of growth isn’t always easy or fun.

This is definitely becoming a Substack deep dive soon. I want to unpack what it really looks like to show up imperfectly through the different versions and stages of female friendship. If you have any thoughts or stories on this you want to share, please email back and let me know.

At every live show, we spotlight Girlies You Should Know - women making your city brighter, bolder, and better.

🏆 Congrats to Nina’s Boutique owner Elizabeth for winning the Normy on Thursday night!

☕ Amber Gordon
Founder of Charlotte’s award-winning Wake Coffee Co., is the ultimate multitasker—she launched her baby girl and her buzzy coffee-and-cocktail bar in the same week, and has since turned Wake into a creative hub for connection, conversation, and really good lattes.

👠 Kimberly Powell
The resident host of Fab Fashion Friday, is a personal stylist known for dopamine dressing—mixing Nina’s newest pieces with her own closet to turn outfits into joy and confidence; follow her at @berl.girl.

Want to nominate A Girlie You Should Know?

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