The Commute: No. 7

Jan 19, 2018

“Women have to be active listeners and interrupters – but when you interrupt, you have to know what you are talking about.” — Madeleine Albright

The Blame Game. Mark Wahlberg is not the villain in the Michelle Williams pay gap story.  The entire entertainment industry is.  They’ve been paying women less since talkies were invented.  So while it may be convenient to blame the guy from Boogie Nights, the truth is that a bunch of black dresses and emotional speeches did not miraculously fix a sexist industry.  Just ask Ellen Pompeo how hard it was to get paid what she deserved, even when her show spent a decade on top.

Seeing Clearly. I usually don’t do kitschy, but the glasses print on this sweater is adorable.

Office Harmony. Could you be a better co-worker?  We all have our flaws, but here are five ways to treat your office mates better.

Wrist Candy. This wrapped Lucky cuff and this two-tone Robert Morris wire-wrapped cuff are proof that minimalist jewelry can be cool.

Plus Shipping + Handling. How Instagram ads are just infomercials for millennials with short attention spans.

A Subtle Pop. This rosy, mauve satchel from Target is the perfect bag to help you ease into spring.  How good would that look with your classic khaki trench?

Just Gutted. Your gut health is very important, and the bacteria in your gut is as unique to you as a fingerprint.  Several companies are letting you test your “microbiome” from your own home, but are they worth it?

Wow-Eyes. These Charlotte Tilbury Chameleon eyeshadow sticks are sublime.  The amethyst is my favorite.  Need a drugstore dupe?  Try these Color Tattoo Crayons.

Bowing Out. Have you ever outgrown a friend group?  Or decided that one of your friends just isn’t a good fit anymore?  Here’s some advice for walking away gracefully.

Clip It. I am obsessed with this circle hair clip from Etsy.  It’s so unique, but still a functional classic.

Pull Up a Barstool.  My boyfriend and his buddies are obsessed with Barstool Sports, a men’s website about the things men talk about at the bar (women, sports, etc.).  Their female CEO talks about how she got the job, how she deals with controversy surrounding the unapologetic site, and what it takes to succeed in a male dominated business.

Final Clearance.  The Net-a-Porter sale is coming to an end, but there are still some steals left.  This Isabel Marant necklace and Kors suede flats are both under-$60.  This white Tibi dress and coral Rebecca Vallance frock scream special event.

Throwback. To that time male rocket scientists decided to design a makeup kit for female astronauts.

It was a long (short) week. I’m not sleeping.  I’m stressed out about moving to D.C..  And all I want is to be on a beach in Hawaii with Sarah Gerrity drinking a daiquiri and posting envy-inducing Instagrams from the sanctuary of a surfside cabana.  But no, I have to go outside and clean dog mess out of a yard before getting on a long Friday afternoon conference call that could just be an e-mail, but then the coordinator of the call wouldn’t feel powerful.

Oh sure, I could pretend that I have amazing weekend plans and the perfect outfit for them, but why?  Why does every blogger’s life have to look perfectly happy and aspirational?  Truthfully, if I go to bed tonight and don’t wake up until Sunday, it will be an amazing weekend.  This, ladies, is called real life.  Stay strong in the struggle.

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  1. Susan says:

    Belle, love the blog and especially loved your last paragraph today. I just CANT with bloggers and IGers that pretend as if everything is perfect, easy and they are always in a fabulous mood. The truth is we all have useless, painful conference calls, fears about the future, mood swings and mid-winter life malaise. Thanks for always keeping it real, it’s one of the many reasons we love you so!

    • Belle says:

      I get wanting to create beautiful content and lovely photos, but don’t sell it like that’s real life. One of the things that irritates me is when the Instastories are just as produced and gorgeous ALL THE TIME, and then one day, there’s just an emotional meltdown about how hard it is to make it all look good. Okay, so stop?

  2. Jules says:

    Totally agree with you on the last paragraph. Maybe it’s because I’m not very creative, or not a good photographer. But I find it easier to photograph “pretty” things than “life’s imperfect moments.” I guess I find it hard to conceptualize what I would actually photograph to show my life is sometimes a murky mess. My dirty car perhaps? My chipped nail poslish?

    I also happen to live in Hawaii… so I have to confess my instagram is full of pretty pics. But I swear, you just go outside, blindly take photos, and it’s still pretty 🙂

    I love how you keep it real. Hope you get to sleep a lot! That’s always what I look forward to the most 🙂

  3. JLAC says:

    Thank you for the beautiful last two paragraphs today, just what I needed (along with the fantastic picture). It was my last day of work at a job I loved 9 years ago but was soul sucking at the end.

  4. Katie says:

    Thank you for keeping it real and not just pretending. It’s not good for anyone to believe that online/social media posts are real life but it’s east to get caught up in comparisons!

  5. Anna says:

    I appreciate the dose of reality in all of your posts, not just this one. If I sleep all weekend and that’s the only thing I do? I am 100% ok with it.

  6. Whitney says:

    If I was Michelle Williams, I would be looking for new representation. Same company negotiated two very different deals. They need to take responsibility for this too and use their power to make sure everyone they represent is getting equal deals. Isn’t there job to represent her to the best of their ability and to be industry experts on how people get paid? It’s ridiculous.

  7. Sarah says:

    Truth. A good weekend for me is when I get to clean my apartment, cook, and take naps on both days. That’s winning.

  8. Ellen says:

    I was lucky enough to work for a female astronaut and if you think the makeup kit is funny, imagine the conversation men had when trying to figure out how many tampons to send to space. I think it was around 100/ woman for 15 days in space.

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