Category: Music

Shout Out Sunday 7.28.19

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

Good morning! I technically have a long weekend this since I took Monday off to take the MTEL, so happy 2nd Saturday to me! I’ve been reading up a storm lately and I’ve had a country song in my head, so that’s the de facto theme of this week’s round-up. Mercury is in retrograde AF—can you tell? I’ve been super lethargic and uninspired…I’m hoping the cosmos can get its act together soon and end this tyranny.

Enjoy!

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look at my cute cat!!!
  1. Please bring some joy into your life and read Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. My fingers are crossed that he’s writing another because I truly cannot get enough.
  2. I have treated myself to some shoes.
  3. I have treated myself to a statement earring because LEO SEASON IS IN FULL SWING.
  4. Elsie’s article on how she changed her life is so inspiring!
  5. Kacey Musgraves has this aggressive motivational water bottle and now I need it.
  6. I’m not crying, you’re crying. I’ve had this song stuck in my head for over a week. Pre-order here.
  7. Living for these Target pajamas.
  8. These are literally the best pens on the planet. My therapist agrees, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  9. I can’t even explain to you how much I want this bag. Anyone have $400?
  10. VERONICA MARS IS BACK. All hail Therapy Logan.

Peace out, cub scouts!

Shout Out Sunday 7.7.19

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

Good morning, friends! I hope you all only had to work 3 days last week. Even though the 4th of July is a really complicated holiday from a social justice perspective, I had the privilege of a great day by the pool and somehow managed to only get a sunburn on my shins. I can sense a major case of the Sunday Scaries coming on…how do I go back to work after 4 days off? What is a desk? All I want to do is lay around reading and eating Mexican food…is that such a big ask?

Enjoy this week’s round-up!

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my fourth of july look was leopard & crystals because i am a sentient glass of chardonnay
  1. I took the MTEL on Friday (the Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure) and even though I have no clue whether I passed, the test did remind me that I’m obsessed with Toni Morrison. One of the passages I had to write about was from Song of Solomon, which I actually haven’t read, so I’m putting it on the reading list immediately! Not to brag, but I do own a signed copy of Beloved *flips hair*
  2. I don’t bake but maybe I should start?
  3. Started reading incredible Twitter person, Kristen Arnett‘s Mostly Dead Things and it is a stunning masterpiece.
  4. The NYTimes tried to answer the age-old debate between iced coffee and cold brew, but they forgot one very important detail—cold brew is just tastier.
  5. Halle Bailey has been cast as The Little Mermaid in Disney’s upcoming live-action flick, and I, for one, couldn’t be happier that they didn’t just shove some white girl in a red wig for verisimilitude to a cartoon based on a Danish horror story. If you haven’t heard Chloe X Halle, give them a listen!
  6. Stranger Things season 3 is out!
  7. Rob Sheffield, one of my favorite writers and (fun fact) the brother of my high school chemistry teacher, wrote a great review of the new Beatles movie, Yesterday. I’m still going to see it, but I’m going into it with a critical eye.
  8. LOFT sale is an extra 60% off until Tuesday. I went yesterday and got three pieces for $20—it felt like stealing. I may or may not have just gotten a ton more stuff from the website…I love LOFT for my work wardrobe!
  9. I went up to Salem, MA last weekend and fell in love with all of the amazing shops up there. Hauswitch was one of my faves…give me all the crystals, please! I also loved Modern Millie—I wish I could wear a vintage dress every day!
  10. Tried the Yellow Door Taqueria in Lower Mills (Milton-Dorchester line) and it was bomb. My friend even made me taste duck! If you’re in the Boston area check ’em out!

Tunes of the Week:

The girl 2 cubicles over plays the radio at work, so as a result, I have had “GIRL” by Maren Morris stuck in my head for ~a month.

In honor of the 4th, PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM.

Bonus content: Wanna see my chart? It’s trouble.

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Shout Out Sunday 6.23.19

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

Hello! This week was absolutely insane. I spent the first half sick and the second half doing Too Many Activities™. Friday was our annual work outing, at which I spent 2+ hours getting torrentially downpoured on in a sailboat (misery) and drank all the wine cocktails (happiness). Then, I drove out to Western Mass to see one of my dearest friends and go to a show (detailed below), and didn’t get home until 2 am. Needless to say, I am an empty shell of a human who requires sleep and adequate nutrition. So, without further ado, my weekly roundup:

  1. I saw Jenny Lewis (again) last night in Northampton, and it was a religious experience. She’s still on tour, so get tickets immediately! I might go see her again in Boston or Providence, it was that amazing.
  2. I’ve been watching Catastrophe again, because I’m never not watching Catastrophe in a loop. Truly the greatest series ever created.
  3. One of my biggest regrets is not registering for a high-powered blender or Vitamix for our wedding. Just trying to make my own oat milk! Also, if you’re not on the oat milk train, I feel bad for you, son.
  4. I want to try this restaurant in Newton. There aren’t enough vegan restaurants where I live!
  5. Must have this faux agave plant for my house (I’m a plant killer).
  6. This playlist, FIG for CHELS—True/Tested, i.e. the playlist of car songs my husband has been making for me over the past several months, slaps so hard it should be illegal.
  7. Michael and I are (slowly) watching Westworld. We certainly don’t have the same momentum watching it as we did Game of Thrones (the nonlinear storyline doesn’t propel it forward in quite the same way), but we’re really enjoying it so far. Thandie Newton is a sensation.
  8. Speaking of HBO, they made a series of My Brilliant Friend, one of my favorite novels of all time??? Watching immediately.
  9. Put these noodles in my body right now.
  10. This piece is extremely heavy (TW: sexual assault), but I think it’s an extremely important read. Assault is a political issue. We cannot have hideous men as leaders.

I’m sorry to bring the tears with that last one, but it so profoundly moved me that I had to share it. Silence is complicity.

Now, please enjoy this crappy iPhone picture of the one true god.

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jenny lewis \ calvin theatre \ northampton, ma \ 6.22.19

Until next week!

Shout Out Sunday 6.9.19

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

If putting this three days late is wrong, I don’t want to be right! Accountability is hard, guys. Deadlines are hard. The important thing is that I’m back to shove articles and other media in your face—I’m reliable that way, if late.

I’ve already made you wait, so without further ado and nonsense from me, this week’s list!

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co—star really is…that bitch

 

  1. Did you guys hear about Barnes & Noble being sold? That store was such a huge part of my childhood that I actually ending up working there for years. I’d like to see them survive, and I think the strategy of tailoring them to the needs of their communities is a good one (the plan-o-gram model of universality always bugged me). I wish nothing but the best for them, but also capitalism is evil, etc, etc.
  2. The title alone has me hooked. Can’t wait to read Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows.
  3. I’m reading Homegoing, finally, and it’s incredible. 10/10 would recommend.
  4. Did you see this NY Post story? People are roasting it online…how out of touch can you get? I laughed out loud when I saw the reply, “my dad has bricked seven laptops” @shaun_jen. It goes without saying that a. Women have skills and we don’t seek mates who can build our Ikea furniture and b. Millennials can’t afford to buy houses because of the economy y’all ruined, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
  5. I had a shitty week (got passed over for a job, had an existential crisis about my professional life), but Wine Country was there for me when I needed it.
  6. On that note, Paula Pell (the GOAT) wrote a piece for Glamour that nearly moved me to tears.
  7. Start using the Co—Star astrology app if you want to get dragged to filth every day via push notifications (see above).
  8. Friday was National Donut Day and I didn’t even get to have one! I need to find some donut shops that don’t involve me driving into South Boston for Blackbird. Did you know they do weddings now? Guess I have to divorce my husband and remarry him to make this happen.
  9. An excellent take on the Hollywood boycotts of Georgia.
  10. The National’s new album is out and how am I just listening to it now???
  11. This article…affected me.
  12. Your bitch got published. A paper I wrote is going to be featured in Bridgewater’s Graduate Review. I’ll be sure to link it when it’s up!

Until next week! Or, rather, the end of this one.

xoch

Shout Out Sunday 5.19.19

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, friends! I wish I could say “Happy long weekend,” but alas, that’s next weekend. Here’s the stuff that “freaked my week,” and yes, I regret saying that.

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this picture was taken february 7th in st. pete florida. literally why do i live in the northeast?
  1. I finally started watching You’re the Worst and it’s a perfect show. Je suis obsessed. Chris Geere is my boyfriend. The Ferris Bueller discussion at the beginning of episode two is the very definition of *chef’s kiss*.
  2. Gimme dis vegan ice cream.
  3. I bought the damn Rothy’s and they’re incredible. Worth every penny.
  4. Last week’s Game of Thrones was TRASH—sound off in the comments if you’re as upset as I am, and as terrified for tonight’s finale. This thread is everything.
  5. Check out this trippy video for “Oh What a World“! And yes, I am a Kacey stan, sorry ’bout it.
  6. I don’t know if you saw the original piano Cardi B video, but he’s back with another one and it’s perfect.
  7. Wait for the cameo at the end of this video. My god.
  8. I know it’s basic to plug yourself, but I wrote this piece about Céline Dion 2 years ago and watching everyone on Twitter stan her so hard lately has made me feel like an honest-to-goodness trendsetter.
  9. I just placed a hold on Reese Witherspoon’s book at my local library via the Libby app. I listened to her interview on Sooo Many White Guys the other day and she truly is a boss.
  10. I don’t have a dining table (or a dining room for that matter), but these chairs are the most perfect things I have ever seen and I must have them.
  11. Is Chipotle cancelled?

 

See you next week! Or, y’know, sooner if I decide to actually write a blog post one of these days.

*My very smol dragon tattoo in the above pic (Smaug!) is courtesy of Oxford Tattoo.

 

Shout Out Sunday 5.12.19

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

Good morning, friends! I know it’s…Tuesday, but Sunday was Mother’s Day, aka the worst day of the year, so I took a knee and bailed on the post. This week I’ve been reminiscing a lot about England, how fortunate I was to get to live there for the better part of a month. It was a dream come true, and I can’t imagine not recreating the experience again soon.

The rest of this post has exactly nothing to do with any of that, it was just on my mind.

Enjoy this week’s round-up!

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bath, england
  1. Johnathan Rice’s new album, The Long Game, is out!
  2. The Netflix show Dead to Me is SO GOOD. I can’t stop watching it.
  3. This article makes me want to wash my sheets twice a week.
  4. I am obsessed with this dress! I scored it on clearance in store for even cheaper (and during a 20% sale), so check your store to see if it’s in stock. Size up because Wild Fable is junior’s!
  5. Now that I caved and got Allbirds (I love them, by the way—they absolutely lived up to the hype), should I get Rothy’s? The pointed yellow ones are calling my name…and they’re washable!
  6. Boston is getting a new art museum!
  7. I cried just reading about the new Linda Ronstadt documentary. I can’t wait to watch it.
  8. Maris Kreizman wrote this devastating piece for The Atlantic and it nearly broke me.
  9. It’s been a week and I still can’t tell how I feel about this SNL short. Is it genius or the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen?
  10. I’m going to read this book next—I’m totally fascinated by French culture in general, but French motherhood is something I think Americans can really learn from.
  11. Is the velvet trend finally over? I mean, I’m going to keep a couple of pieces, but I’m glad to see it go. Like off-the-shoulder tops—what were we thinking? What do you think the next inescapable trend will be?

Until next week!

-chels

Shout Out Sunday 4.28.19

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

Welcome to another installment of Shout Out Sunday, where I yell at you about pop culture and retail! We’ll get right to it this week—no need for a big preamble.

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long beach—100% where i wish i were right now
  1. Now that I’ve finally caught up with Game of Thrones (bracing myself for tonight’s episode), I finally start watching Gay of Thrones!
  2. I’m almost done with the Neapolitan novels and I’m legitimately considering starting a podcast about them with my best friend. Stay tuned.
  3. So, it appears that I have a patch of fucking psoriasis (it runs in my family, it was only a matter of time), so I’ve been using this and hopefully it helps a bit!
  4. So, apparently there’s a coffee shop down the street from my house that I didn’t even know about! And a juicery! I guess the town next to mine (not mine) is actually hip!
  5. This song is playing at the coffee shop right now and I forgot how much I love it. I first heard it during Emily & Richard’s vow renewal on Gilmore Girls and I’ve been obsessed ever since!
  6. Borrowed Padma Lakshmi’s Love, Loss, and What We Ate on audiobook from my local library (via the Libby app!) and I can’t wait to listen to it and Padma’s super soothing voice!
  7. Finally tried the Garden Grille in Pawtucket and I’m obsessed! One of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory.
  8. Taylor Swift put out a song with Panic! At the Disco and I truly can’t tell how I feel about it!
  9. Should I cave and finally buy AirPods? I fucking hate headphone wires but I also hate spending $160 on something I don’t technically need. Discuss.
  10. Ali Wong and Randall Park is going to be in a movie together and fucking thank god.
  11. Speaking of Netflix, I started watching Bonding and I’m not sure how to feel about that, either! I’m not sure 15 minutes is enough of an episode for me, but I’ll stick it out to the bitter end. I am…really mad that I never thought to get into that line of work to pay for school.

Oh, and P.S. I broke down and bought the Allbirds. Will report back.

Shout Out Sunday 4.7.19

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

It is becoming increasingly apparently that my foremost skill in life is starting these posts prior to Sunday, forgetting about them, and then on the following Saturday, cobbling together an end so that I can schedule them to come out when they’re supposed to. I’m really consistent! I think I can officially stop wondering why no one in their right mind would pay me to write.

This week’s round-up is very on brand for me—media-heavy and a bit too late to be relevant. But I mean, if you’d only just given yourself the gift of listening to Demi Adejuyigbe talk about pop songs for an hour and a half at a time, you’d probably brag about it too.

Enjoy!

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burlington, vt
  1. Danny had Nicole Cliffe on the most recent episode of Dear Prudence, so run, don’t walk.
  2. On that note, are you subscribed to Nicole Knows, The Shatner Chatner, and The Stage Mirror? You ought to be.
  3. I just read Shrill because I watched Shrill and Lindy and Aidy are perfect and everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.
  4. I joined Bumble BFF and I have no regrets.  I felt like a complete loser about it but we all deserve a rich social life that shouldn’t have to die just because we move or graduate.
  5. I really tried with Pen15, but I can’t get into it. It’s too authentic. The writing and acting are so convincingly tween. If you’re into nostalgia (the girls on the show are almost the exact age I was back in the early ’00s), you’ll love it. 12-year-olds just make me cringe. Note: I will still probably watch the entire series.
  6. A Quiet Place is on Hulu now and I might have to break my no-horror-movies-ever rule to watch it.
  7. If Beale Street Could Talk is also on Hulu right now, so I’ll definitely have to watch that.
  8. WERS (the local cool radio station, from Emerson College) keeps advertising a music festival in Reykjavik and it’s making me want to visit Iceland so bad! It’s such a stunningly gorgeous country, and it will be a great way to kick off seeing Scandinavia!
  9. I finally started listening to Punch Up The Jam and it’s my new favorite podcast. I highly recommend starting with the “Wannabe” episode. This week is Shania Twain!
  10. On that note, “You’re Still the One” still holds the fuck up.

 

Shout Out Sunday 2.24.19

Chelsea Harper1 Comment

Another week in the books! Enjoy this week’s faves!

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this makes me die with laughter every time i see it
  1. Sex Education on Netflix is the most wonderfully charming show. I can’t stop watching! The young actors are absolutely brilliant and the cast is insanely diverse. One wonderful thing about the show is that it is completely inclusive of LGBT sexuality and relationships, which gets nearly as much representation as straight ones. A perfect, perfect show.
  2. Melissa Villaseñor’s Lady Gaga impression is the best thing I’ve ever seen.
  3. I wrote a post a while ago about *feminine products* and trying a menstrual cup and never posted an update! I’ve been using exclusively a cup for a few months now and I’m obsessed. I’ll never go back to tampons and pads! I still keep some on hand for emergencies, but I’m a cup girl for life. The cup I use is not available anymore (it’s Hesta Organic), but I’m interested in trying other brands, like Lunette.
  4. Not to be a dorky dad, but I just checked my credit report on creditkarma and you should too. It’s super important to be aware of your financial health!
  5. This Twitter thread about a college professor assigning his students to make memes is solid gold.
  6. One of you has to buy this because I’m on the Spending Fast and can’t. IT’S PERFECT.
  7. I’m thinking of trying to do Whole30. Have you ever tried it? My best friend did and loved it—and she looks freaking fabulous to boot.
  8. This hash brown recipe looks amazing.
  9. And on that brunch note…Rosé Raspberry Sorbet Mimosas, dude.
  10. This next one is NSFW, so open at your own discretion—I’m a huge, huge fan of this little guy. I’ve been really reticent about this sort of thing, but I’ve been trying to be more open-minded!
  11. Bonus Content: The Head and the Heart covers “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and I am deeply, madly obsessed.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed some of this #content. As always, follow me on all the socials @highwaytochel, and check out my Poshmark store @highwaytochel. Sayonara!

Shout Out Sunday 2.17.19

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

Think I’m gonna get right down to business today, guys! Here’s my week in a nutshell:

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  1. I’m actually doing it, fam! I’m doing the Spending Fast. We’re shooting for a year, but it’s based on need. If I can pay my consumer debt down faster (I have a couple of ways I could do this, but they’re both pending/not guaranteed), we might not need to keep going until 2020, but honestly, the experience has been so empowering that I don’t think I’ll want to stop! I’m rereading Anna’s book, and Katy Goodman’s Insta stories have been super inspiring (she has a No Buy highlight). Just with little tweaks, my grocery bill has started to come down, I’m using cash for purchases, and we cancelled cable (finally!). Student loans go into repayment next month, so things will be really tight—I’m working on starting a side hustle job (more on that later). It feels so good to rid yourself of all the stuff in your life that’s weighing you down! P.S. Anna’s book (Kindle version) is on sale for $1.99 right now, so snatch it up!
  2. Catastrophe series 4 is streaming on Amazon starting March 15th and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s one of my favorite pieces of media ever made. Sharon and Rob are geniuses beyond measure. I think I’m going to cancel my Amazon Prime subscription after I watch it, which is kind of a big step for me! I’ll have to buy the season of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel next year, but a one-time $12-ish purchase is better than $49-$99 a year to support a company that sucks!
  3. Since I’m not spending money right now, I’ve been bringing my own lunch to work every day. Sometimes, that means the Trader Joe’s microwave meals that we still have from before the No-Buy, but mostly it’s meant leftovers and jar salads. I stan a jar salad. They are my favorite thing on the planet. People at work think I’m nuts rolling up to the breakroom with a quart Mason jar of lettuce but they don’t even know. You can put literally anything in a jar salad. My last one was champagne-pear salad dressing, snow peas, beet sauerkraut, mixed greens, and vegan cashew parm. Delicious!
  4. I’m psyched to make this soup recipe. I make a mean tomato basil, but subbing cashews in for cream is genius! My belief about food is that, if you can make it vegan with little to no effort, do that shit.
  5. I started using the iBotta app, which gives you cash back for buying certain items and submitting your receipts. It’s like coupons, but 2019. I think apps like this can be a slippery slope and convince people to buy products they don’t need, but I go through and find only things that are already on my grocery list, and choose the most cost effective brand. For instance, there was a $1 back bonus on Health-Ade Kombucha, which made it, effectively, cheaper than even the store brand. I’ve made $13 so far, off of only 2 shopping trips.
  6. Do you read New Darlings? They’re sharing their pregnancy journey right now and it’s so sweet I could scream. I can’t wait until that’s me!
  7. Dogs aren’t actually smart. Sorry not sorry to break this to you.
  8. I saw Neko Case when I was in Tallahassee and holy fucking shit was she amazing. If you haven’t listened to her new album, shame on you.
  9. On that note, Jenny Lewis has two new songs out: “Red Bull and Hennessy” and “Heads Gonna Roll“
  10. Don Cheadle’s shirt choices on SNL last night were NEXT LEVEL.
  11. Saved the best for last: RUSSIAN DOLL. RUSSIAN DOLLLLLL! You’ve gotta watch this show. Drop what you’re doing and immediately log in to Netflix. It’s only February but this is definitely the best show of the year. Natasha Lyonne is breathtaking. We just finished last night and I am already yearning for a new season. A perfect, perfect show.