Issue #131: That new new
Good morning, shoppers!
Yes, we did get a haircut, thank you so much for noticing! To be real with you, we took last week off because we were having A Lot of Feelings, but during that week, we also got to hang out in person and finalize our cutey new look to debut in today’s issue. It’s been in the works for a bit; it’s not the newsletter equivalent of “I think I should get bangs.” What do you think? Do you like it? Flatter us, please! This engine is fueled by unrestrained praise and back pats.
But really, seriously – do we like? We do. We think she’s a peach.
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Kase & Maggie
I consider myself to be an optimist, a glass-half-full-no-wait-what-if-maybe-there’s-a-whole-jug-somewhere-wouldn’t-that-be-dope kind of gal. I like to think the best of things, including my time management skills. Optimism…isn’t always realism. I’m a “just one more chapter” type, and time tends to get away from me. This lil guy is my latest tactic in the ongoing arm wrestling match I’m in with focus. I just flip it over with the amount of time I want facing up, and it beeps a little beep and dreams a little dream when the time is up. There’s no screen for me to get distracted by or countdown to watch, just a pleasant little purple cube there to help me out. When it beeps, time’s up, for better or for worse, and it’s time for the next thing. —KW
There’s a real art to taking an L. You could face it head-on, ready to bloody your knuckles until what remains of your common sense is the only thing left standing. You could wear it like a badge, letting its reflection in the sun blind you. You could try to drown it, send it out to a sea of Miller High Life buoyed with all the things you should have said or you could turn it into a joke, recounting what happened so many times, it eventually becomes a punchline. Might I recommend just taking it? Letting it sit heavy on your chest and seep out from the corners of your eyes when you wake up in the middle of the night, retracing every step that led you back here. Turning on a light is a good idea, mostly so you can get a good look at it and see what it reminds you of. “Don’t I know you?” you’ll think. You do. You’ve been here before, which means that one day, maybe on another night like this, you’ll be somewhere else — somewhere easier, calmer, kinder — once again. —MC
I don’t need new shoes. I don’t need new shoes! I have plenty of shoes. And yet, in that “fall is coming, let’s get some school supplies!” season, when August is just too much and we need to black out until September, I feel the pull of the sole in my soul. I’ll be in the city and in Real Pants much more often this fall, and I basically can’t have a feeling without window-shopping some shoes about it. I used to love those black cotton Mary Janes, bought in bulk with a rubber band around them, and these kind of remind me of them. I can’t decide if the mustard hue makes them grandma-cool, or if they’re still just kind of…grandma. Of course, this definitely-chic take on the style is haunting my dreams too. Someone needs to watch me, I may be buying up backpacks and even more notebooks if left unsupervised. —KW
I waited all summer for it to be August. In a stellar example of how not having plans freaks me out, I somehow managed to cram five trips into a single month. Am I thrilled at the idea of abandoning my apartment for the opposite coast, seaside towns and other cities? You betcha. Am I worried there’s not enough time to really process, relax and unwind if I spend the next couple of weeks on trains and planes? That too! Maybe it’s the particular shade of baby blue or the illustrated flower but something about this watch from Park Deli makes me feel like I’ve actually got all the time in the world — and for once, that could be a good thing. —MC
Believe it or not, these are not pajamas. When combined, this colorful swim cover-up and matching shorts sure do look a lot like something you’d wear to bed (or if we’re being totally honest, to an arcade in the early ‘90s). Who cares if they’re meant to be worn poolside, the roomy cut makes them ideal for loafing around your apartment on balmy mornings when the last thing you want to do is deal with the world outside. And because it’s a set, you’ll look somewhat put together, even if it’s just to drag yourself to the kitchen. —M
SisterSong is an organization focused on reproductive justice for indigenous women and women of color. The group holds workshops and training for organizing, partners with shelters, stages events like “Trust Black Women” days, and more. Reproductive justice and freedom are human rights, and SisterSong is working to keep access open. Consider donating or getting involved today.