Weekend Reads for My Birthday Weekend

Is this my birthday weekend? I am treating it as such as last weekend was snow and preparation for it. My actual birthday, my 51st, was Wednesday.

The storm canceled our Sunday reservation at a cozy and buzzy restaurant to celebrate, and upcoming additional snow canceled plans for a girlfriends getaway to the beach. But Wednesday my laptop was ready for pickup from the Genius Bar (it died on me and I'm so glad I had AppleCare which made the repair $0), and while at the mall I got a massage and my husband and I had a lovely lunch. Came home for a cozy evening of family movie time and cake and felt very thankful.

Making a Difference

I live in Prince George's County, Maryland. D.C. doesn't have suburbs like most metropolitan cities because of its very clear borders. If it did, where I live would be it. Bordering the eastern side of our Nation's Capital, P.G. County is an extremely diverse area in regard to geography, economy, race, and culture with a substantial immigrant population that we welcome, but is being targeted by ICE.

The Prince George’s County Immigrant Rights Collective (IRC) is a community of neighbors and advocates that respond to ICE activity, hosts Know your Rights (KYR) canvasses, offers trainings, and shares resources to protect immigrants in our county. The PG IRC has put together GoFundMes for families in our county that are suffering from detainments and deportations, offering money to pay bills, lawyers, bonds, and phone calls to loved ones.

What could be a coffee drink for you could be the difference between these folks getting evicted, having a meal that day, or getting their loved one out of illegal detainment. Consider scrolling through and offering what you can; GoFundMes like this are Mutual Aid; the money goes straight to the individual. If you would prefer to provide food, this spreadsheet created by the PG IRC also offers links to Mealtrains for some of the families.

I encourage you to see if your community offers similar support for those affected by these violent and often illegal actions. Supporting your community and getting involved locally is the best way to make a difference in what is going on in our country. Because whether or not you live in a city that is currently being targeted, you will eventually be affected by the acts of the current administration. It makes sense in every way to become more connected to your community and care for it in whatever manner you can.

Weekend Reads

Let's talk about mutual aid. (Selvedge Works on Substack)

Minnesota is Everywhere: On Coming to Our Senses. (The Remix on Substack)

The surprising way to fight political exhaustion. (PBS)

How AI Shopping Could Turn Fashion Advertising on its Head. (Vogue Business)

Agents Are Looking for the Next Heated Rivalry on Fanfic Sites. (Vulture)

Life on peptides feels amazing says everyone who’s buying from looksmaxxers on Instagram or AI bots in China and injecting them into their bloodstream. (New York Magazine)

Who Takes Palantir’s Money? A New Tracker Finds Out. (Mother Jones)

I succumbed to the hype and got one of these turtlenecks. It's a really lovely base piece. Size range is extremely limited, but the L fit my curvy size 14 bod.

Is luxury boredom's less popular sister? (Bread Crumbs on Substack)

The Ex-Hipster Behind Substack’s Elite Tastemakers. (Intelligencer)

There's a Wuthering Heights collection at Bloomies?

The land of the free and the home of the brave. (The Laundry Pile on Substack)

Musicians, theater groups and others from overseas are facing visa challenges and rising costs, posing a looming crisis for the performing arts sector. (New York Times – gift link)

Women Made Up Nearly All The Job Losses Last Month. Here’s Why. (Forbes)

These jeans spark joy.

Inside Shane Hollander's Heated Rivalry cottage designed by Canadian architects, Trevor McIvor. (The Architect's Newspaper)

America Is Freezing. Do Not Look Away. (dirt & noise)

Welcome to the American winter. (The Atlantic – gift link)

I am a mess with self-tanner and had given up. But I recently tried this and I gotta say, it's even and easy and doesn't smell gross, either. I liked it so much I asked them for a discount code for you: ALISONG10 gets you 10% off.

Telling the Story of Costume Jewelry. (New York Times – gift link)

Is a 2016 Fashion Trend Revival in 2026 Real? Or Is the Internet Overhyping It? (Marie Claire)

The new shadowbanning panic. (The Atlantic – gift link)

Sale Alert & Style Inspo

This year, expect to see a lot of resin and lucite jewelry. This is a trend that can be budget-friendly or baller, easily found secondhand, and may even already be in your jewelry box. Candy colors, or more natural hues, you'll see a mix throughout 2026. A few pieces I've seen recently that appeal to me (I own the gumball necklace, and the aqua version of the dark green earrings).

periwinkle hoops | jade ring | gumball necklace | red bangles | dark green earrings | orange and red earrings | blue ring | bright green earrings | gold ring | colorful link necklace | black necklace | brown bangle | orange ball bracelet | blue and red earrings

Mixed metals continues to be a hot trend, and an easy way to have everyday jewelry go with everything. You will see a switch from several chain necklaces to one or two statement pieces, and mixed metals is a great way to embrace this change. Mixing metals with rings is also chic; adding a two-tone ring is a way to make the mix of your wedding set with another metal, or a variety of favorite rings look purposeful.

double hoops (I own these) | multi-stack ring (I own this) | double ball necklace | open ring | bangle | interlocking rings necklace | swirl earrings | link earrings | bangle set | heart link bracelet | ringed hoops | double ring

The Printfresh Warehouse Sale is going on, and this is a sale not to miss and one to shop fast, as merchandise is limited. Save up to 70% on pajamas, dresses, homegoods, and more. I am a fan of the Eco Satin pieces; I have these pajamas and have gifted them to friends, too. Don't sleep on the Home section where you can find really cute holiday napkins, placemats, and napkin rings. And I am a big fan of Printfresh dresses; several are part of this sale including the one in the photo above! BTW ALISON10 gets you 10% off full-price purchases at Printfresh.

If you like ELEMIS, now is the time to shop with its Skin Reset Gift With Purchase promotion going on. With any purchase you'll get a really nice travel bag packed with Pro-Collagen Renewal Serum 15ml – Full Size, Pro-Collagen Marine Cream 5ml, Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm 10g, and Pro-Collagen Glow Boost Exfoliator 3ml. This is worth $145 and is free with any purchase at ELEMIS now through February 1st.

See/Hear/Read

My birthday was pretty low-key, one thing I wanted was to watch a favorite movie with my family, one that my daughter had yet to see. And so we watched 1999's The Thomas Crown Affair, starring Rene Russo and Pierce Brosnan.

I have to say, it still holds up. No cell phones, no GPS, no mainframes to hack, but it still is an intriguing story with plenty of sexy glamour, drama, and fashion. Oh, the fashion. Russo's wardrobe was done by Michael Kors when he was at Celine, and it too still holds up.

When Russo removed her jacket to show her bustier over a white shirt, my daughter gasped. Her knee-high lace up boots with a leather jacket: we both swooned. At one point she exclaimed, “Wait, was that a Birkin?” The only thing dated in Russo's style is her hair, though aspects of it are coming back (remember the Remington Hot Rollers?).

BTW, Russo was 45 at the time of filming; Brosnan was 46 but his character was 42 (at least that's what Faye Dunaway said in one session with him). The Thomas Crown Affair is free on Pluto, Tubi, and the Roku Channel, and can be purchased for a couple of bucks from YouTube, Apple, and other platforms.

I succumbed to the hype and watched Heated Rivalry (HBO Max). I knew it would be something neither my teen nor my husband would want to watch and I don't watch a lot of TV alone. But one Sunday I woke before everyone else and decided to try it out while working. Dear reader, do not watch Heated Rivalry while performing another task; you will miss too much. I stopped all I was doing, and spent the next few days catching moments with my phone to finish the series.

My friend and hair stylist Billy said it didn't get good until Episode 3 and I do feel if the show doesn't get you in the first two eps, try the third before bowing out. Because for me, that's when I was in deep. Because while yes, this is a show with a lot of sex and a lot of beautiful naked bodies, episode 3 is when it turns into one of the most heartfelt romantic shows I've seen in a long while.

I cried a few times in the last three episodes. Some were happy tears. I sighed, I verbally said, “awwww,” and I get why folks have watched this series more than once for more than the hot hockey players. Heated Rivalry is lovely, whether you are the age of the stars or the age of their parents.

For Your Entertainment

Harry Styles is back. With an album coming out in March and a world tour starting in May, we're getting drops of music to whet our whistles. And your girl Allie loves some Harry Styles.

“Aperture” is Styles' latest single and the video is… well at first I wasn't feeling it but by the end I felt it had quite a great message about the relationship a superstar has and can have with its fanbase and the world around them. How Styles goes from ignoring to fearing to fighting to choreographed dancing with the stranger literally supporting him and the experience inspiring a song… did I mention I love me some Harry Styles?