Weekend Reads for the Start of May

Last weekend I spent at my friend's beach house. Too cold and windy for being at the actual beach for any span of time, we enjoyed an afternoon on her porch, painting color by number canvases one of our friends brought. It was so much fun, and after we hung up our paintings side by side, proud of our work and calmed by an afternoon of focus on something other than a screen.

My canvas was of a person who had hiked to the top of a mountain and was admiring the vista; the body was in silhouette. As I painted it with acrylic #11 (a shade of black), I made a mistake near the lower back. Happy accident, I turned that probably male figure into a curvy female form. The hand up, possibly holding binoculars now seemed out of proportion so I changed it to two arms holding a phone vertically, capturing an image of the vista.

If it weren't in silhouette, you'd likely see the form in a striped top as it was clearly me. Phone and all.

This job requires me to be tied to my phone. Sure, I write here and the vast majority of my income is from this site, but in 2025, it's necessary to be on apps. And to have success, you need engagement, which means you need to provide engagement. And honestly, that's the most fun part of it.

I never got a SmartWatch because I am already tied to my phone and when I am not I want to be 100% disconnected. I haven't regularly worn a traditional watch since college, and lately find when I look at my phone for the time I end up opening it and checking “just one thing.”

In October, I went camping with my daughter's Girl Scout troop. The scouts were screen-free except for a designated time each evening so I too wanted to be off my phone. I put on my mom's watch so I could stay on schedule.

Her watch was a tiny little Timex with a black leather band; she replaced it every few years with another exactly the same. I ordered her the last one off the Target website; it was $19.99 and just like the brand's catchphrase, that watch took a licking and kept on ticking. I liked having a watch, I found I picked up my phone far less. But the style wasn't me and I found myself forgetting to take it off for a shower and while it kept on ticking, I knew it wouldn't for much longer with my tendencies.

I wanted a watch that could go in the shower, the pool, the ocean. I wanted one that I didn't have to remember to wind, and didn't need replacement batteries on the regular. I wanted the date, and I wanted to be able to check the time in the dark. I also wanted a brand that was known for being reliable but not corny, pretentious, trendy, or exorbitantly priced.

I decided on a Citizen Eco-Drive, this one specifically. I got it at Macy's, where it was on sale for cheaper than anywhere else. Even if bought online, Macy's stores will adjust the strap length for free. I still need to do it, as it's too big even for my strong wrists. But it's precisely what I wanted and I plan to get it sized this coming week.

On Instagram Stories this week, I discussed how 2025 is a year of buying less and slowing down. And I really am. I am making do with what I have, shopping slowly and thoughtfully, considering my existing closet and current lifestyle. Slowing down made me realize that this one purchase may help me slow down other parts of my life.

As for my other purchases this past month, I bought two more pairs of merino undies (read my moisture-wicking underwear review), a replacement pair of Teva Hurricane Drift sandals (mine were a few years old and began cracking at one strap and clearly from my travel sandal review I am a fan), and these shorts in the bright blue as last summer I was low in functional but not clearly athletic shorts.

Weekend Reads

Trendy NYC thrift stores fear US tariffs could obliterate business: ‘No small business can survive.’ (New York Post)

New York's infamous Clout Corridor is no more. What's Next? (High Snobiety)

Fran Lebowitz on why our concept of “now” is broken. (Harper's Bazaar)

What it means to tell the truth about America. (The Atlantic – gift link)

Is anyone surprised I'm digging this tank for summer?

How music can bridge generational differences. (Greater Good Magazine)

Blame Hollywood’s “unwokening” and the extraordinary rise of right-wing podcasters on slop: intellectually bereft, emotionally sterile content that’s shaped by data and optimized for clicks. (The New Republic)

Trump tried to ban TikTok in 2020 — now, it’s his megaphone to Gen Z. (The Verge, archive link)

Bad Influence on Netflix tells the content creator Piper Rockelle's life story from the perspective of the people around her. Now, she’s ready to talk about it herself. (Rolling Stone)

Why fashion and the Met Gala are celebrating Black dandyism. (The Guardian)

Last week on Instagram I wore a blue and tiger print shirtdress; it's from Printfresh, I'm wearing size XL, comes in 4 prints up to 3X and code WARDROBE_OXYGEN gets you 15% off sitewide!

Carrie Bradshaw isn't the quintessential New Yorker. It's always been Sarah Jessica Parker. (Cultured)

Bad Bunny on music, Hollywood, family, and going home again. (Vogue)

REM release ‘Radio Free Europe 2025’ benefit EP. (Far Out)

Sale Alert & Style Inspo

Boll & Branch is having a Mother's Day sale with 15% off, but honestly you can always get 15% off with promo code WARDROBEOXYGEN. You know I am preaching quality not quantity especially this year, and I swear by Boll & Branch bedding. It's not cheap, but how often can you wash a pair of sheets weekly for five years and still have them in like-new condition? I also love how everything is roomy; blankets and comforters longer, pillowcases fit custom and speciality pillows, and the fitted sheets will go over toppers (and my beloved Eight Sleep) without issue.

stripe dress (2XS-3XL) | earrings | necklace | clutch | caftan dress (2XS-4XL) | two-strap sandals | pom pom sandals | blue dress (XXS-XXL) | sunglasses | raffia tote

This week I was discussing work on a video chat with a fellow influencer and I mentioned the retailer Tuckernuck. My husband overheard and thought it was a made-up word, and not an actual island part of Nantucket. After the geography and history lesson, I had to show him the retailer. And with that, found so many cute things.

floral dress (2XS-3XL) | beaded necklace | orange handbag | scarf | sandals | yellow marble clutch | earrings | orange top (XS-XL) and matching skirt (0-12)

FYI, Tuckernuck (the retailer, not the island) carries their own lines that go up to 4XL as well as some other labels. This means there is a broad range of both size availability and price range. I have shopped Tuckernuck and find the quality excellent and returns easy.

swimsuit (XS-XL) | pink and red dress (XXS-XXXL) | sunglasses | flower earrings | clutch | shorts (24-31) | tote | blouse (XS-XL) | red and white dress (XXS-XXL)

The CEO of Tuckernuck is Jocelyn Gailliot, who founded the company in 2012. Though the company may be named for an island in Massachuttes, Gailliot is from D.C., the location of the only store… for now. Last year, Gailliot shared Tuckernuck planned to expand brick and mortar stores in 2025. I checked Open Secrets and Goods Unite Us and couldn't find anything about either Gailliot or Tuckernuck. I consider this a good alternative to those who have stopped shopping Anthropologie.

See/Hear/Read

This week I DNRed two books, so I don't really have anything to report on regarding what I read.

As for what I watched, that too is more of the same. I was away last Wednesday to Sunday so this week I caught up on Hacks (Max), The Mighty Gemstones (Max), finished The Residence (Netflix), and while working watched a bit of the most violent and ridiculous movie Karl was watching (Havoc, on Netflix, which has Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker but is like watching a violent video game… all action no real plot).

For Your Entertainment

I remember saying that when I had my daughter, it was like I suddenly installed Service Pack B and had parental instincts. Gosh, just saying Service Pack B is soooo 2009! Anyway, these days I find that once I hit my 50th birthday I am now finding folks under 27 or so to be utterly adorable. Sure, people that mucy younger than I could have technically been my child for decades now, but not until my 50th did I really see the age difference and not feel old, but feel they are young. And so effing adorable.

I think Selena Gomez is adorable, like human Madame Alexander doll adorable. Gomez has been in the entertainment industry since age 7, and was a Disney teen idol by the early age of 15. She never got a chance to be a regular kid, and surely doesn't have a regular adult life. Maybe that's why I find her relationship with producer and songwriter Benny Blanco so adorable.

Not having a regular life, Gomez never went to prom and recently, Blanco gave her a prom experience with a limo, photo shoot, and an actual dance. Not really like the prom I experienced, but still, you guessed it, adorable. And they made it into a music video. And it's the happiest music video I experienced this week, and I think we all need a little adorable happiness right about now.