***
1) The disturbing conversations women are having on fertility apps. (Elle)
2) Burgundy Fall Bags: a $65 bucket bag and a $49 clutch. So fabulous.
3) Get the money you deserve; great tips for getting a raise. (Redbook)
4) I gasped when I saw this perfect David Meister work dress. Sublime.
5) The incarcerated women who fight California’s wildfires. (NYTimes)
6) Mango Musts: A super-chic coat, a cashmere cardigan, a day-to-night dress.
7) How to deal with five toxic office personalities. (Career Contessa)
8) This $12 Timeless serum is the best skin hydrator in history.
9) The underrated appeal of a simple skincare routine. (Refinery29)
10) These BR flare trousers are perfect, also these bootcut WHBM pants.
11) Why happy people cheat. (The Atlantic)
***
What I Can’t Do. Forget about work when I’m not working.
What I Had to Have. This crazy cool geode necklace.
What I’m Not Listening To. I’ve managed to avoid Taylor Swift’s new song. Are we tired of the vindictive victim thing, yet? How about the coded messages in the videos? I was a fan once, but now, I just wonder when this 27-year-old woman will write songs that don’t feel so junior high.
[quote here; featured image found here]
I may earn commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.
Belle – I notice you often post “vegan” purses from Sole Society. I am 39 and a few years ago a friend nicely told me to upgrade my bags to real leather since I am now a “grown up.” So, I am afraid to purchase anything looking or feeling plastic-y or cheap. How do these “vegan” bags look in person? Do they merit making an exception to the “grown up” rule?
I like the Sole Society bags. If you’re looking for high quality vegan leather, you want Matt and Nat bags. I don’t think most people can tell the difference between one and the other. I’d buy a good bag if it was meant for heavy use, otherwise, a vegan leather bag is fine for me.
I agree regarding Ms. Swift, though I wasn’t a fan. Everyone has had a relationship go south but nearly a decade of always being horribly wronged? After that, one might consider that perhaps *they* are the common denominator. It is tiring.
So, I’ve always been a big T. Swift fan (31 years old and still shamelessly into her), and I couldn’t put my finger on why this new single was so “meh” for me. I think this is it! Maybe if she would consider exploring topics other than vengeance, her longtime fans could grow with her rather than outgrowing her.
The lyrics are so bad. “Look what you made me do” is blatantly immature. No one “makes” you do anything. Take some responsibility. Write about something other than yourself. The other videos she made in the past were laughably awkward. I never understood why grown women seemed to worship her. She’s just a pop star, with all that entails, not something authentic.
I think she was legitimately impressive when she first started as a teen, and she does know how to write a catchy tune (Shake It Off remains one of my favorite pump up songs). I haven’t heard the latest single, figure it’ll be all over the place eventually, but I agree with the perpetual vengeful victim thing becoming tiresome. She has a formula that has proven successful, so i can’t blame her, but I do wish her subject matter had evolved with her style.
All I can think every time I hear that’s the title is when domestic abusers say that the woman made them hit her.
Do you really work for the NRA?
I do not work for the NRA. I did work for them several years ago. I left for various reasons, mostly that lobbying is not the kind of work I want to do. It’s everything you hate about sales, and everything you hate about government in one job.
Belle – please turn off the “subscribe to my newsletter” popups on your website. I have already subscribed and added your homepage to my popup blocker. But when I click on any additional links, the “subscribe to my newsletter” popup appears again. There’s nothing we can do on our end. And its a bit annoying that the popup comes up EVERY TIME we visit your site. Its unnecessary.
I agree this is annoying, but for troubleshooting purposes, this is not happening for me. I’m at the office beyond a proxy using Chrome.
I’m using Chrome too and don’t have this issue. My work’s website has a splash page that pops up for new users, but also comes up for returning users if you clear your browsing history. Do you have your settings to delete cookies or clear history every time you close your browser?
We’re working on it. It’s on Beth’s list. I’ll check in with her to see when it will be removed. But it annoys me as well.
Thanks! 🙂