Week Links [8 November]

Well, we did it. Or, we didn’t do it, but organizers in swing states did it. Special shout out to Philly, Detroit, & Atlanta. I love Atlanta, and when we’re allowed to travel again, I’m definitely doing long weekends in Philly and Detroit and giving them all of my tourism money. I think we’ll always remember where we were when we found out the election had been called—I was washing dishes, and I got a text from my husband that said, “Is Biden President??” I immediately responded, “No,” but then I refreshed the ABC News live map on my phone and my heart stopped for a second. I kind of wish I’d gotten to see the news break in real time, but I’LL TAKE IT. Remember, remember the 7th of November, bitch!

I’ll be critical next week, but this weekend is for celebration. One less thing to worry about. We pop bottles when we vote out fascists.

  1. Never going to stop listening to this song for as long as I live! Let’s make it the most streamed rap song of all time. This is also in the running.
  2. Speaking of patriotism, Whitney Houston’s performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” is the best version ever performed or recorded. It’s hard to find a decent video of it, but this one starts at 1:15.
  3. Really wishing I had these champagne coupes to toast this weekend. *theatre kid voice* Raise a glass to freedom, something they can never take away!
  4. The Target Wondershop is absolutely popping off this year. Can you even handle this lemon ornament? I’m trying to be deliberate about my decoration curation, because the ornaments we had in my house growing up were really special—some from my mom’s childhood, some from ours—and although I am an Aesthetic™ bitch, I do want to bring that happy energy to my own children’s lives, should I ever be lucky enough to have kids (waiting on that vaccine for sure). And if I’m being honest, I’m probably going to get this retro tree in both sizes. I love that shit that was old even 25 years ago when I was a kid is coming back into vogue. *cue “Landslide“*
  5. I finally bought this sweatshirt after weeks of waffling because I thought it might be a jinx. Proud of my vote! Should I get a set of pearls to go with?
  6. My friend Rachel made a playlist of showtunes to blast when Biden’s victory was declared. She is an icon and a national treasure.
  7. Did we know that MIZ Stacey Abrams writes romance novels? Gonna have to find a way to buy all of them.
  8. I’ve been compiling a list of recipes to make if I’m ever allowed to host a gathering again and this is a definite yes. P.S. Very excited to soon have a President who believes in science and will take whatever measures are possible to mitigate the spread of the virus!
  9. I rewatched the 1997 animated film Anastasia on HBO Max on Wednesday (because stress), and I have to say it’s wildly underrated. Name a better voice cast! There are FIVE musical numbers before the 30 minute mark.
  10. My husband sent me this video about the most important run in music history. I’ve been working on this since roughly 2011 and I don’t think I’ve ever successfully done it.
  11. And, like, no neolib, but it is actually a huge fucking deal that Kamala Harris is our first woman Vice President. She has some blemishes on her record that she needs to acknowledge and atone for, and she wasn’t my choice in the primaries, but a Black, South Asian daughter of immigrants and HBCU grad without children who didn’t take her husband’s last name being elected to the second-highest office in the land? Representation matters—in big ways (young black and brown girls in this country get to grow up with a leader that looks like them), and slightly less significant, but still remarkable ways (you don’t have to give birth or let your identity be subsumed by a man’s to make it in politics). Even Hillary Clinton reluctantly took her husband’s last name in the interest of political expediency. This is a bit of a pet issue for me, I’ll admit, but in 2021 we’re moisturizing, drinking water, and not participating in the patriarchy anymore.
it is with a heavy heart that i must admit that young joe biden was a snack

Week Links [9 August]

I broke 100 followers on this damn blog. I have ZERO CLUE how that happened but I appreciate you all so much! For reference, I have 91 followers on Twitter… I don’t do any promo for these posts, so I don’t know how you found me, but I’m glad you did. Thank you for indulging my nonsense.

I was listening to Nikki Glaser on Whitney Cummings’ podcast, and Whitney mentioned something about how naming your fear takes away its power. So, I’m trying to name my fear, or rather, my terrifying dream—I want to write! I pathologically don’t take my writing ability seriously—I don’t do revisions or editing. I just jettison my thoughts out into the world as they form. It feels so vulnerable to me to admit that I want something; it feels like standing in front of a crowd naked. What if I’m not good enough?? But then I remember that I have a literal Master of motherfucking Arts degree in Literature. Thoughtful analysis and communication are the only things I’m good at. Even if it’s just my alma mater’s graduate journal, I’ve been published. There is no reason I can’t write something meaningful about Bunheads. So, sorry to be like, Stevie-Nicks-draped-in-turquoise-charging-crystals-in-the-moonlight, but I’m manifesting. Hold me to account!

Apart from the above, this week was dreadfully uneventful, so, on with it!

Whitney Houston Was Too Perfect To Stay - MTV
image source mtv

  1. I desperately need ethical/sustainable fashion brand recommendations. I’m in a fashion rut. I feel really uninspired by my closet (which may have something to do with the damn pandemic, and the fact that I’m in pajamas half the day). Hit me up with your favorite brands, extra points if they’re BIPOC-owned. I’m looking into a lot of the brands on this list. I need to stop shopping at J.Crew, basically.
  2. I got myself a lil’ birthday present. I’ve been lusting over this bag for AGES, and this gorgeous yellow color was on sale. Meant to be! Also, I have a referral link for 10% off if you’re interested! (If you’re wondering, my birthday present from my husband is these earrings in both metals.) And fuck it: in the spirit of manifesting, my Venmo is @highwaytochel if you want to buy me a drink or pay off my student loans.
  3. I upgraded my home office because I’ve been craning my neck for months and I’d like to not end up with arthritis or osteoporosis or whatever terrible posture does to your body. I got these adjustable monitor stands (one for my monitor, the other for my work laptop), and this cute AF keyboard (with an actual number pad, praise be!) I’m in my office 8-10 hours a day, so I really should be taking care of my body! Also, I should be exercising…at all, but that’s definitely a story for a different day.
  4. I just finished Meaty by Samantha Irby, completing my reverse trilogy binge of her work. Hands down my favorite essayist.
  5. I went on a book-buying SPREE. I know Amazon is the devil and Bezos deserves the guillotine, but those daily Kindle deals! My plan is to be totally Amazon-free by age 30. Just like how restaurants say that they’ll use all recyclable materials by 2022 or whatever. I got: The Year of Magical Thinking,  The Collected Stories of Eudora WeltyBird by Bird, If They Come in the Morning…: Voices of ResistanceSick in the Head: Conversations about Life and ComedyFreedom is a Constant StruggleYou Deserve Each OtherThemes and VariationsTomboylandCleo McDougal Regrets Nothing, The White Boy Shuffle, and What Girls are Made ofA mix of rom-coms and radical politics—sounds right.
  6. My queens have honored us with new music. Listen to “WAP” by Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion, and watch the video here. And let me know if you think “wet and gushy” is…way, way worse than the actual lyric.
  7. I’m rewatching This Way Up on Hulu right now and it’s just an absolute gem of a show. Aisling Bea and Sharon Horgan are a dream team. I also watched Military Wives, Sharon’s recent film (also on Hulu), and despite the fact that it’s sympathetic toward military things (boooo), it shattered my heart because I am a sap! Oh, and not on Hulu or related to either of these at all, but Coupling is on HBO Max!
  8. Just discovered that there’s a Haitian-American vegan catering company in the next town over that has been doing a special menu during COVID for delivery…my body is ready to receive it!
  9. This Twitter thread broke my heart. BLACK. LIVES. MATTER.
  10. In honor of Christina Schneider following me on Twitter, please listen to “Hot Wife” immediately! Personalia is a gift to this earth.
  11. Happy birthday to the *wickedly* talented, one and only, Whitney Houston. In the iconic words of Aretha Franklin, “Whitney was a talent. Definitely a talent. She had a gift. And Cissy’s baby.” We will always love you.

Stylin’ On ‘Em

Good evening, all! Lately, I’ve been in complete get-shit-done mode. We’re streamlining our department at work in preparation for the busy fall season, my home is starting to come together inch by inch, and my financial aid picture for returning to college is looking considerably less grim. And, as a person who is about to graduate and get married (ew, so traditional), I’ve been thinking a lot about the personal style I want to carry with me into this new frontier of adulthood.

I consigned clothing both Monday and Friday. The first place I went to paid me $19 up front for 6 items of my clothes, which is insane, because I brought two baskets of well-maintained garments. We all know how much of a brand ho I can be, so I was discouraged that they accepted a sundress from Target, but not myriad garments from places like J.Crew and Urban Outfitters. The second consignment store follows a different buying model, and I’ve had a lot of success over the years selling to them. They donate unaccepted garments to charity, so either way, I win.

There are two reasons for the wardrobe pare-down. One is that my 24th birthday is fast-approaching, and the urge to cultivate a more professional and adult wardrobe is real. With each day that I age, neutrals become more appealing. Neutrals are everything—essential to creating an all-seasons wardrobe. I feel like my personal aesthetic has been completely schizophrenic over the years. From October to April I live in Banana Republic sweaters, skinny jeans, and boots (i.e. Webster’s definition of “basic”). The rest of the year, I exist in this space between bohemian, retro, and preppy that lacks cohesion. I still don’t feel like I fully know who I am as a dresser—just part of the process of growing up.

The second reason is minimalism in my home, which has been admittedly less than successful. You see, the only way to declutter is to NOT immediately replace clothes that you just got rid of with new, higher-end clothes. I was actually able to reduce the number of drawers I was using for clothing. They are now anal-retentively reorganized by category, and I’m making tiny signs to hang on the drawer pulls because my life is a sad parody of a Pinterest board.

Styling/redecorating my house has been such a challenge, but it seems like Michael is finally coming around about it. He is very open to any and all changes I make to communal areas, but his office and studio are sanctuaries that I barely feel allowed to enter, much less rework entirely. In the past week, I feel we’ve made a lot of progress.

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This is the “after” picture of our entryway (or at least the :to be continued”). On the left is the door to our bedroom, on the right is the hallway to the front door. I don’t have a “before” picture, and be grateful—it was truly horrible. There was a tall cabinet whose top was not only broken off and balanced on top, but was covered in random clutter (including, but not limited to, 5 year old Christmas cards and coffee cup sleeves). There was also an (ugly) table lamp up there, which has been moved to the bedroom and awaits a new shade. The 4 ft or so of wall above was bare with an old nail sticking out. I replaced the cabinet with a small vintage bureau that my dad thrifted for me, a standing lamp with an updated shade, a wall calendar of vintage advertisements, and record covers as hanging art. The records I found used 2 for $1 at Newbury Comics, and I couldn’t be more excited to represent Linda Ronstadt and Elton John in my living room. I painted the clothespins turquoise as a fun pop of color against the hideous wall, which has to remain this tortured beige for the time being. Boo.

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Chelsea, Michael, and Della, for those wondering about the letters.

The entry-way joins this cozy reading corner, which I created earlier in the summer…

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top: Whitney Houston’s debut album, center: naughty vintage “pulp fiction” literary postcards right: a painting we received as a gift from New Orleans

…this budding gallery wall, hung this week…

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..and this area, which I “finished” last week by finally hanging my Sherri’s Ink art print, my Man Ray photo (cut from a calendar!) and our “engagement photo”, which will be replaced once we have a real one taken.

My living room is about 70% finished (and by finished, I mean in a state that I can live with until I afford to do a proper overhaul) and it’s super encouraging. I’ve been spending a lot of  time in this room because it feels so much more put-together than the rest of the house that it’s became a calming oasis.

As always, thank you for letting me share my progress. It’s no Happy Handmade Home yet, but it’s getting there.

-DellaBites