Issue #61: Running through mud
I don’t know about you, but this week has been just one of those weeks over here. I start every day with a to-do list and hope soaring in my heart, visions of all those boxes I’m going to check off. My day is optimized. I am a superhero.
Then reality comes crashing down. Those boxes? There are no checkmarks there, my friend. People are unavailable, my brain is broken, the universe is conspiring against me, the usual.
Weeks like this, I’m settling on finding those little victories. Whenever I finish a container of leftovers or scrape the last bit of a condiment out of the jar, I congratulate myself on “cleaning,” we’re talking that level of “win.” Whatever gets you through the day, right?
This (long, endless, where’s my thesaurus there has to be a better word for how interminable this week is) week, we’ve got a grab bag of what’s getting us through — or what we imagine might be the cure for long weekitis. What’s your antidote?
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Kase + Maggie
Have you seen Gigi Hadid’s apartment? Calling it hideous might be describing it too kindly. I invite you to share in my horror by taking a look at the multicolored pasta display in her kitchen cabinets or the unlaminated, unframed New Yorker covers tacked up on her bathroom walls. Her unconscionable taste has stunned us all — even Hailey Bieber, an undoubtedly less famous model, commented on the photos, “You snapped!” Way to sugarcoat it. While her taste in interior design is giving me palpitations, Gigi was recently spotted bopping around in adorable checkered pajamas from Holiday the Label that I have to admit I really like, so perhaps her aesthetic isn’t all bad. She’s been wearing this green checkered pattern set that says “Yes, I do know a few Less than Jake songs by heart,” but I’m after this newspaper print that relays more of a “the Style section is news!” vibe. —MC
If you’re looking for a side hustle right now, J.Crew is paying people to shop. That’s an exaggeration, but barely. Sale items on the site are marked down an additional 72 percent, a fact about which I could only sputter “how dare you” over text when I was informed. But this isn’t a tale of ultimate promo code triumph, no, that belongs to the six items I purchased at Madewell in June for a grand total of nine human dollars thanks to a combination of return credit, promo codes, birthday incentives and dark magic (and I got cash back on those nine dollars, thanks). I managed to find the one thing that isn’t on sale in the entire store, and I yearn for it on a cellular level. This citrus-printed Edie Parker collab maxi dress is the height of impracticality: It’s white, you can’t wear a regular bra with it, it would probably hit me at a weird point on my legs, I’m not going anywhere that justifies either a dress or new clothes at all, and yet. Is it the cute cross-back detail? The tiny buttons? The whimsical citrus print? Why not all of the above, sprinkled with the allure of a full-price item in a sea of severely discounted ones, and just a hint of tangy lime juice? Just having the tab open brings me a little bit of joy. Honestly, thank god it doesn’t have pockets, or I’d already be a goner. —KW
Sitting in front of a computer all day is weird. One moment you’re clicking around Nordstrom.com, trying to strategize for their upcoming Anniversary Sale and the next, you’re debating crowdfunding a $695 sequin dress. After discovering this Veronica Beard number when I should have been writing, I sent it to a number of friends the same way people email birth announcements as if to say, “Look at her” instead of “Look who’s here!” A-line ... seaglass ... shimmer on a classic silhouette … my heart sank another centimeter with every detail. It looks like something a mermaid would wear to try to fool her human crush into believing she’s a real girl. But hey, even sirens must have credit cards these days, right? —MC
Ever have one of those moments (these usually occur in hammocks, I’ve found), where you’re just ... fine? Nothing in particularly extraordinary is happening, but you could be fine staying in the moment for a good long while, longer than a moment? But something makes you move: it gets dark and it’s time to go inside, or your drink gets too warm or someone needs you to do something. This delightful Yeti lowball glass solves at least one of those problems. Yeti tumblers and coolers have become ubiquitous as of late, and for good reason: they work, they’re cute, they’re ~status~. But I don’t really need another tumbler or water bottle (though I won’t say no to one, ever, as my overfull cabinets prove) and I don’t think I’ve ever needed to keep bulk beverages cool for long enough to justify a cooler. These little lowball glasses are something special: the perfect size for a cocktail (or “coffee,” that’s something I’ve heard you can put in here too), something special for when you want to savor something for just a little longer than it’ll hold on its own. Plus, this limited-edition coral shade delights me on a soul-deep level. —KW
Are tips back? They’re popping up all over Instagram and New York City nail institution Chillhouse seems to be leading the charge. I cringe at the thought of anything attached to my fingertips now, but I’ll confess there was a time in my life where my set of acrylics was so indestructible I could assemble a whole skateboard — including a very clean grip tape job executed with a razor blade, thank you — without leaving a scuff. This set’s non-toxic glue and two-tone wave pattern seems a little more elevated than the pink and whites I wore to split my time between said skate shop and slingin’ wings at a nearby bar. And with a name like Editor-in-Chill, it might be time to revise my past crimes against my nailbeds. —MC
Back when we were all carting ourselves to the subway and grumbling about how we never wanted to leave our houses another day in our lives, there was plenty we didn’t think about: How much we’d have to cook, how sick we’d get of our own walls, how sick we’d get of ourselves, more. Add another logistical “oh no” to the mix: With the impact of COVID-19, lost wages and economic hardship, more families are struggling than ever to get as many diapers as they need. Diapers are expensive and absolutely necessary to the health and happiness of people who wear them, and that health and happiness impacts the ability of the diaper buyer to work, function and live as well. This New York Times article about the struggle to afford diapers, wipes and formula will absolutely break your heart. Once you’ve read it, please consider donating to the National Diaper Bank Network.
Disclosure: We picked these products ourselves, but may earn a commission if you purchase through our links. Thanks for shopping your feelings!