Weekly Roundup #66: Mophie and Annie
I took a “mental health” day off work yesterday because work has been insane and I’ve spent the last couple months as a giant ball of stress and anxiety. So I took a day and, even better, found a deal and got an hour-long facial AND hour-long massage. It was incredible and I highly recommend, if able, PLEASE take a day to yourself if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or overburdened at work. Even one day can refresh your whole mindset and prep you for the next few weeks. So on that note, take care of yourselves and have a great week! We can see spring, people, it’s almost here!
Reading
Behold the Dreamers, Imbolo Mbue.
Growing Up Game of Thrones, Rolling Stone. Can I just be friends with both of them? Or at least watch the finale with them?? They both just seem like such cool, enlightened women. I WANT TO KNOW THEM! (Side note: I actually felt that burn that precedes tears when I read the final line 😢)
Sky Ferreira Returns, Pitchfork. This is a fantastic profile.
Do You Have a Not-So-Stranger? A Cup of Jo. “what if YOU’RE someone’s not-so-stranger? Meta.” Weird to think about…I have SO many of these people though. One who has now become infamous among my friends: The OCD Woman. This woman would sit near me on the train three out of five times and she is one of the most bizarre, yet fascinating people to watch get ready in the morning. Ask me about her someday and maybe I’ll tell you more 😉
17 Crimes Against Bagels, From Slicing Like Bread To Other Misdemeanors, Huffington Post. I don’t know, I mean, I wouldn’t mind my bagel being sliced like bread. It is weird though.
Billie Eilish: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Pitchfork. Billiiiieeeee! She’s haunting but so good. If you’re easily disturbed…maybe don’t watch her music videos.
The 21 Best Skin-Care Tips of All Time, According to Dermatologists, Allure. Here’s what was new to me: Let each product sit for two to three minutes before applying the next one (I always layer mine quickly, so guess I’ll be trying this out). After applying your moisturizer, put a sheet mask on for 10 minutes to help push the ingredients into the skin.
Aidy Bryant Is Ready For Her Close-Up, Nylon. Ok, so I finally watched Shrill. I heard it was SO good, so I’m was waiting patiently for this past weekend. I loved it! However, I really wish it was longer and I didn’t love the ending, but it definitely opened up the show for another season. Also, the soundtrack is bangin’. "I've certainly said no to lots of big parts in movies, because I felt like I didn't want to be a fat person playing that type of role. I hope that doing a show like Shrill, by having this show about a fat woman and her life, that sometimes includes her body journey, by doing that, I can be done with it and move past it and be able to play characters with full lives that aren't totally tortured or driven or ruled by their size."
Why Is Stalking People on Venmo So Addictive? The Cut. I honestly don’t get this…I mean, you can definitely stalk on the app, but I don’t know why you’d want to.
Afropunk Brooklyn 2019: FKA twigs, Jill Scott, Danny Brown, Kamasi Washington, More, Pitchfork. Give me all the FKA twigs!!
At 71, She’s Never Felt Pain or Anxiety. Now Scientists Know Why. The New York Times. As nice as this sounds, this would actually be a pretty dangerous way to live.
Jesse Jo Stark, Wonderland. I started listening to her as I read this and I’m really into her. Plus, how could you not love the description “horrific hillbilly?”
Behind the Scenes of Broadly's Gender-Inclusive Stock Photo Shoot, Broadly. I love this!
Is This Mega-Popular Instagram Haircut a Lie — or the Truth? The Cut. We ALL should know better, but now I kind of want it too…
Can’t Decide Where to Go? Leave it to These ‘Surprise Vacation’ Planners. The New York Times. Um…nah. I have too many places I want to go to, I’m not going to waste a trip and have someone else plan it for me.
Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’ Stuns With $70 Million Opening Weekend, Variety. WOW. Ok, so I was terrified to see it, but still really wanted to, see my review below.
Here's How Much You Should be Tipping for Beauty Services, Allure. If 👏🏼 you 👏🏼 can’t 👏🏼 afford 👏🏼 to 👏🏼 tip 👏🏼 you 👏🏼 can’t 👏🏼 afford 👏🏼 to 👏🏼 go 👏🏼 out!
The Right Way to Ask, ‘Can I Pick Your Brain?’ The New York Times. Stop asking to “pick your brain.”
I Spent $30,000 On Facial Feminization Surgery & Finally Feel Like Me, Refinery29. To be clear, Billie kind of annoys me on Vanderpump now; however, her experience is important to read so we can all try and be a little more empathetic. Transgender people are one of the most victimized groups in our society simply because people choose to not understand where they’re coming from and to stigmatize them instead. No one would choose to be bullied or persecuted. Read this for an inside look at how transgender people feel before they’re finally able to transition (which many are not able to do).
4 Facial Massages You Can Do Every Day, PureWow. Facial massages are so underrated.
“Patience” by Tame Impala, Pitchfork. Lemme see that comeback 😛
Why "Settling" Was The Best Decision I Ever Made, Refinery29. I understand what she’s saying—movies, TV shows, books, they’re not necessarily realistic examples of real life relationships—however, this sounds like she settled just a bit too much. She doesn’t sound excited about the relationship at all. I definitely don’t “thrive on stormy arguments, break-ups, and make-ups,” but I think passion is important. It’s not the most important quality in a relationship, but I think it’s necessary in a good relationship.
FTC shuts down four groups responsible for billions of illegal robocalls, CNET. Thank GOD. I’m sure I’ll still get at least two a day though 🙃
Alone Together: How Music Festivals Like Big Ears Shift the Focus to Deep Listening, Pitchfork. I appreciate the reasoning and thought behind this, but it doesn’t seem like my kind of thing.
Woman Begs World to Shield Her 4 Catholic Sons From Legging-Clad Butts, The Cut. “Indeed, it would be difficult, as a young Catholic gentleman, or anyone, really, to ignore women’s butts when your mother seems so fixated on them.” LOL. How absurd. How about you teach your sons how to respect women and hope they grow up to be decent human beings? Also, bet they’ve seen less skin than that 😈
If You Liked Gone Girl, You'll Love These Suspense Thrillers, Refinery29. Clearly they haven’t read this books because I got an advance copy of “The Perfect Girlfriend” back in December and it was awful. I actually got angry while reading it because it was so poorly written and the dialogue, mostly the main character’s internal monologues, was so absurd.
70% Of Americans Will Fail This Quiz — Only Southerners Will Get 20/20, BuzzFeed. Shocker, I’m from the South, though I’ve never heard shopping carts referred to as “buggys.”
Listening
The Dropout, ABC Radio. Y’all know I’m on a Theranos kick.
Pretty Ugly, Tierra Whack. After bingeing Shrill, I’m obsessed with this song. But why must it so short??
Circles, Olivia Thai. I don’t remember hearing this on Shrill, but I was listening to the soundtrack and came across this beaut.
Watching
The First Time with Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams, Rolling Stone. I. Fucking. Love them!! 💖
Shrill, Hulu. I loved this show, especially because I think it helped fill a gaping hole in our current television content. We need to see more overweight women because they’re a large part of our society (fuck off if you think that’s a pun), and it’s important for young girls to see that every woman isn’t a size 2. You can be bigger and still have a beautiful, meaningful, fun and love-filled life. My absolute favorite episode was “Pool.” I loved seeing Annie come to the realization that she belonged and she could feel free as well. It was such a colorful, lovely scene.
Us, Jordan Peele. So…I despise horror films and, while this wasn’t quite in that genre, I knew I’d be scared throughout the movie, and I was right. Unfortunately, the overall movie wasn’t worth my anxiety for that two or so hours. I definitely appreciated the comic relief, mostly from Winston Duke, but I was grabbing my boyfriend’s hand for most of the movie. And the ending? Haunting, and not in a good way for me. However, I like the conversation it brings about on privilege and the “haves and haves nots.” If you aren’t a scaredy cat like me, watch it, if you are…maybe read the Wikipedia plot.
Loving
Snow Mushroom Water Serum, Volition Beauty. I’ve been using this hydrating baby for a couple months now and my skin is bouncy. I wasn’t that into it at first, but now? Consider me a convert. Get it from Sephora for $62.
