Weekend Reads #278
In case you missed it, I am hosting a trip to New Mexico this coming October. I think this is such a cool way for grown-ass women to connect, travel, make new friends, and make new travel buddies. We will stay in Santa Fe and visit Taos. I think it will be a great time and hopefully, the first of more trips I host for the Wardrobe Oxygen community. If you want to learn more, read about my Trova Trip to New Mexico, or visit the trip page on the Trova website!
Weekend Reads
How tattoos helped me love my body. (Jennifer Magazine)
The consequences of (not so) casual sexual assault. (The Audacity)
My mother got on a bike. It changed her life. (New York Times – gift article)
How wearable should clothes in a fashion show be? (The Back Row)
All pets go to heaven. She helps them do it at home. (Washington Post – gift article)
I shared the above one as we used a mobile vet several years ago to put down our dear dog Cindy. It was so sad, but so beautiful to have her pass where she felt safe, warm, and loved. If only all creatures, including us humans, could experience similar when it's our time.
Fifty-five and still a nomad. (Oldster)
Monica Lewinsky on becoming a fashion campaign star at 50. (Elle)
Shoplifting is bad. But store closures tell a different story. (Washington Post – gift article)
CVS and Walgreens to start selling abortion pills this month. (CBS News)
How I'm handling my aging mother's clutter. (Gloria)
Are you Diamond or Platinum status at Ulta Beauty? If so I recommend you checking out the store in person or online because they are having a special sale today just for you. As for the rest of us, Ulta's Daily Beauty Steals sale will begin March 8th and I'll be sure to share what items are worth your time in this event!
Issa Rae and Hollywood’s unkept promises. (Time)
Oprah Winfrey to exit WeightWatchers board after she announced use of weight-loss drug. (Variety)
They promoted body positivity. Then they lost weight. (New York Times – gift article)
MERIT has come out with a bunch of new matte colors in the Signature Lip, a lightweight lipstick. I have this lipstick in Cabo and find it really comfortable, it wears nicely and doesn't feel or smell like I'm wearing lipstick. I've requested a tube of Vermillion to review and will be sure to report back my thoughts!
I spent months in an all-consuming affair with a man who refused to meet me in person. How did this happen? (New Yorker)
For my local yokels: DCist archive will be available for 1 year, as WAMU seeks long-term home for beloved news site. (WAMU)
See/Hear/Read
On Wednesday, I returned to the 9:30 Club for the first time since 2019. I grew up in the D.C. area, and my first time at the 9:30 Club was its original location back when I was 14. I have seen a show there every couple of months ever since. And then Lockdown happened. I've been to concerts since, but they have all been outdoor venues. But when I saw The Kills were touring, I had to get tickets. And I am so glad I did.
I love The Kills. Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart are amazing together, great chemistry and so sexy badass IDGAF. They're so talented and so clearly enjoying their work together. The 9:30 Club felt so… clean. Really shiny and nicely lit and well maintained. No smell of old beer or old weed, even the bathrooms were sparkling.
The crowd was old enough to have enjoyed WHFS, which surprised me because my teenager is a big fan of The Kills. But I didn't mind because it meant in general, the crowd was calm, respectful, and true fans. And I didn't feel like a mom, feeling more free to dance and rock out. And rock out I did! In fact, in the middle of the show a couple left the rail of the balcony and my friend and I were able to take their spot and have a fantastic unobstructed view.
It's easy to forget how much you love something when you're so distant from it. And going back to the 9:30 Club reminded me how much I love not just live music, but live music there. As we get older, we can get settled, but little bursts of trying new things and bursts of revisiting past enjoyments can help us escape our bubbles, keep growing, and keep finding who we are now. Tuesday did just that for me!
I mentioned before, but I was inspired by a friend who shared she is often reading three books at a time. Kindle, audiobook, paper book; if we can watch multiple shows at a time why not books? And with TV shows, we can mix some fluff, trash, and surface with deeper and richer content. It changed my perspective on reading and this year I have already consumed nine books (and a handful of DNFs). Big change from last year's consumption of I believe four books in total.
Sure, I'm reading memoirs and self help and highly-rated fiction that looks cool in your hands when you're on the train. But I'm really enjoying some light romcom and cliche women's lit. I'm reading my fourth Jasmine Guillory right now (Royal Holiday) and have completed two by Elin Hilderbrand (most recent one is Hotel Nantucket).
My paper books right now are collecting dust, as it my Kindle Paperwhite. But my Libby, Audible, and Kindle apps on my phone in 2024 are being used more than any other app (including Instagram, and that's my job!). I listen to audiobooks as I walk to work or drive to pick my kid up from school or when putting on my makeup. I flip quickly through the Kindle app (these eyes need a big font) before bed, in a waiting room, and instead of TV.
I am behind in RHOP, FUED: Capote vs. The Swans, and have DNFed The New Look because I am reading. I keep forgetting to make content for Instagram (my job) because I am reading. I sleep better because instead of scrolling social, I am reading. I feel so much calmer, even with one story in my ears and one on an app.
I share because if you're like me and you just feel like your brain, especially PostPan, can't handle a book, there are alternatives to holding one in your hand or remembering to tuck another device into your bag.
For Your Entertainment
My friend and I went to dinner before The Kills show on Wednesday night. We arrived as the opening act was performing. It was this young woman with this incredible voice and stage presence. It felt like Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Siouxsie Sioux had a baby, and she was rocking out on that stage in a red blouse and black trousers with red track stripes with this gothic post-punk vibe.
Jojo Orme, the British artist who performs as Heartworms, named her project after The Shins' album of the same name. Orme says a Heartworms show breaks “preconceived notions of smallness and fragility as a female musician,” and I agree.
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Great post! I saw Sleater Kinney last week and I was close to tears (with joy and excitement) during some of it — I felt incredibly reconnected with my younger self while also knowing there is so much more energy and fun and new things to experience in my life. Almost too difficult to put into words. Will look up Heartworms now…… 🙂 thank you
Hi! You can also get library cards from nearby county libraries (I work at AACPL, you only need to be a Maryland resident not a county resident) and add them to your Libby account. Not all libraries carry the same books especially on Libby. And when you put a book on hold on Libby it will automatically put you on the shortest waitlist from all of your library cards. Thanks for all the links!
Wow! So many articles resonated with me this week. Always look forward to your weekend reads, but this week was like you’ve been stalking me I recently got two very large tattoos and was shocked by how much they changed my relationship (for the better) with body parts I struggled to accept. In the past year, we’ve helped two pets cross the rainbow bridge, one at the vet’s office and one at home. Both vets were wonderful and made the experience as bearable as possible, but having it in our home was a much better experience overall. I’m so grateful there are people who have this special heart that they can provide this service to families. Perhaps someday humans will be granted the same death with dignity and peace. I have struggled with my adoration of plus size influencers who suddenly and without explanation drop the weight. I don’t think they owe us an explanation but it definitely feels like the “love yourself” and “size doesn’t matter” rhetoric was all a lie. It’s been taxing on my own self acceptance but it’s nice to hear the perspective from the other side and see that it’s a struggle for the influencers as well. Thank you for an awesome weekend reads and the gifted articles ♥️
Thank you for gift articles!
Oh, the 9:30 Club! It’s one of the things I miss about no longer living in the DC area. Also, a shout out for DC cabbies. They are the best. I’m glad to hear that some are surviving in the Uber era.
I use the LIbby app for reading on my Kindle all the time. It works well, and I like the generous size (compared to a phone.)
Shout out to the DC library, with its reciprocal arrangements with surrounding counties. The library was my lifeline during the pandemic — it’s hard to believe that something so fabulous is free to everyone.
Hi, librarian here. Just wanted to mention in case you weren’t aware, but with Libby you should be able to send most ebooks to your kindle. Then you can read either in the kindle app or on your paperwhite and it’ll sync up. That’s what I do and it’s super convenient!
Yes! Most do go to my kindle app which is so nice!
Your TrovaTrip sounds like a great idea to gather like-minded folk – hope you’ll all have fun on it! I’m not able to join since I’m not from the USA, but I do also like travelling – in fact, I’m visiting the Bruneian rainforest now! 🙂